


The Guardian of Forever

by aquariuslover



Series: Expectations! [16]
Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, Infinite (Band), Star Trek, Super Junior
Genre: Earth, F/M, Loss, M/M, Reunions, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-07 14:12:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15220913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquariuslover/pseuds/aquariuslover
Summary: Unlimited Possibilities.





	1. We Exist Forever…And We Never Die.

Starlight lit up the room.  
  
She was wearing a sleeveless white gown.  
  
Long, silky black hair hung in ringlets, cascading down her back, swaying gently as she slowly strolled toward the windows to space.  
  
For eternity it seemed she had been dreaming of this place.  
  
She was certain she had escaped from the dream for awhile, but now she could not be positive.  
  
“Why do I keep coming back to Ten Forward?” she asked, not expecting an answer. She was always alone in her dream.  
  
“You are searching for me.”  
  
She forgot to breathe and her heart stilled as she heard his voice.  
  
He was across the room gazing out into space, not sparing her a look.  
  
The room was filled with his powerful presence.  
  
He had never been in her dreams before.  
  
“I am not searching for you.”  
  
“You are.”  
  
“No,” she denied, not moving closer. He was in his blue uniform, not red…not the red he had been wearing the first time she had reached out and touched him, forever changing the course of both their lives.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“I am not searching for you.”  
  
“If you insist on being illogical I can not continue with this conversation.”  
  
“I am not being illogical,” she protested, “I am not searching for you. I’m not!”  
  
“Then why are you here, Sulli?”  
  
She wanted to close her eyes and hide from his questions, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. “I don’t know…but it isn’t because of you.”  
  
He did not reply, letting the silence stir her.  
  
“Where have you been?” she implored, walking closer to him…drawn by a force not of her own will.  
  
“Gone.”  
  
“Gone where?”  
  
“Just gone.”  
  
“You knew…you knew you were going to leave…didn’t you?”  
  
“I did,” he answered, not turning around to face her, but he extended an arm back toward her and held out his hand invitingly. “But not in time to adequately warn you of my departure. I apologize.”  
  
She rushed forward and clasped the hand offered to her, unable to resist. “Are you back?”  
  
“Yes, but no.”  
  
“I don’t want to search for you, Changmin.”  
  
He slowly turned his head and their eyes met. “I know, Sulli…I know.”  
  
Had there ever been a man as handsome as him, she wondered before quickly pushing the traitorous thought from her mind. “She loves you…she does. She loves you so much. There isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for you.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
“I shouldn’t search for you…it isn’t very nice of me. She is my family…she is my best friend.”  
  
“Fate is sometimes cruel.”  
  
Now, she did close her eyes as the fear set in, while at the same time tightening her hold on him. “Is it fate?”  
  
“I believe so…although, my logical mind tends to balk at the notion.”  
  
“Then let us be logical…we will be friends; just friends forever…good friends, forever and always wonderful friends.”  
  
“We are friends.”  
  
“Yes, we are…I want you to come back. I miss my friend.”  
  
He looked away from her. “I know.”  
  
“I am so frightened all the time now…and my memories…my memories are malicious and unmerciful. Did all my strength come from you?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Then why has it left me…along with you?”  
  
“It is because we are apart.”  
  
“No…”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“We are not bonded,” she claimed too loudly.  
  
He said nothing.  
  
“No, no…we can’t be!”  
  
He remained silent.  
  
“You walked off with her…and I was so happy for her.”  
  
“Happily deluded…but strangely endearing…always endearing.”  
  
His old words filled her with joy, despite her best efforts to be unmoved. She resisted the urge to embrace him. He was now the captain’s child…he was of Star Fleet at this moment. He was strong, controlled, and logical. She couldn’t hug him, not now.  
  
“Your thought process is illogical.”  
  
“It is not.”  
  
“I was of Star Fleet the last time we were here.”  
  
Her eyes flew open and she knew why she kept returning here. “I apologized…for my behavior.”  
  
“And then you repeated it.”  
  
“But you gave me permission.”  
  
He turned back to face her and now he was Jaejoong’s son, with a bright smile, flaxen hair and penetrating blue eyes. “You always have permission.”  
  
Her jaw trembled. “I am not in love with you, Changmin…I’m not. I can’t be.”  
  
“You are correct. You are not.”  
  
“I’m not,” she stated again and so great was her relief she flung herself in his arms. “I love you, but I am not in love with you. I am not in love you.”  
  
He hugged her back and whispered against her ear, “No, not yet.”  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
Yunho found himself at the head of a table that was from another time and place.  
  
The table was made out of thick wood and it was lavishly carved. Exquisite silk draperies hung down the side of the walls, showcasing finely crafted stained glass windows.  
  
At the table sat unfamiliar men all decked out in excellently crafted suits, some wore white wigs upon their heads and they were all looking at him.  
  
_“Jaejoong!”_  
  
Yunho sent out the mental plea, but no response came. He looked down at his clothing and noticed his suit was very well tailored and made of an exceptionally fine woolen fabric. He then said in his most commanding and formal voice. “Proceed.”  
  
“My Lord,” one of the older men sitting next to Yunho immediately responded and nodded in the direction of another man at the table. “Inspector Hemmings will continue to lead the search for your missing brother if this acceptable to you.”  
  
Another man at the table spoke up, “My Lord, he must be allowed to continue. We must not discount the possibility the disappearance is tied to the other murders.”  
  
A gruff sounding man who sat beside Mr. Hemmings chastised, “Nonsense, I am sure we will get a ransom demand any day.”  
  
The older man sitting next to Yunho quickly interjected, “We are not discounting the likelihood of a kidnapping, but finding him must be the priority. Mr. Hemmings has showed remarkable insight and he must be allowed to proceed.”  
  
Yunho looked back at Inspector Hemmings and noticed he was younger than the other men present, the least finely dressed and he appeared very nervous. “Yes, he should...” Yunho paused as the unfamiliar Inspector Hemmings morphed into the very familiar Dr. Cho. “Yes, he should proceed, but I would like to speak with him alone…for now.”  
  
All the men at the table immediately got up except for Yunho, Ryeowook, and one other man. Yunho stared at the other man and sighed in relief when the unrecognizable face gave way to Yoochun’s.  
  
The older man that had done the majority of the speaking earlier was now focused on Yoochun. “Viscount, are you not going to join us?  
  
“No,” Yunho answered immediately. “He is welcome to stay.”  
  
“Of course, My Lord,” the main replied as he bowed his head and then exited the room along with the other men.  
  
The three of them waited for the door to shut and Ryeowook quickly asked Yoochun, “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Fine,” Yoochun answered as he reached down and rubbed his legs. “Physically fine, but do I look as ridiculous as the two of you?”  
  
“Yes,” Yunho immediately answered.  
  
“Did the Guardian do this?” Ryeowook asked as his eyes scanned the room.  
  
_“Jaejoong!”_  Yunho mentally sent out again before responding to Ryeowook. “Yes, it is just like what happened before…except for the fact you two are with me.”  
  
“Jaejoong…our version of Jaejoong was never with you in the other realities you visited,” Yoochun stated, recalling the reports Yunho had written regarding his last trip through the guardian.  
  
“No,” Yunho answered. “We visited different realities and the version of Jaejoong I met in those realities…was not our version.”  
  
Yoochun looked down at his legs. “Where is the version of me…that is about to bite the big one?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Yunho admitted as he stood up and walked over to Yoochun. “I honestly don’t know…inside the Guardian…stored away?”  
  
“I bet you are healed,” Ryeowook stated. “I have had this theory, but I never shared it on the planet.”  
  
Yunho met the doctor’s gaze. “Share it now.”  
  
“Before the Guardian first whisked us away…we were all exposed to dangerous levels of radiation…and yet we never suffered any of the consequences from that exposure…and we should have.”  
  
“Why did you not say anything before?”  
  
“Because when Ensign Henry and Ensign Sunggyu went to collect dilithium they did suffer the effects of radiation…why not us?”  
  
Yoochun agreed, “That is very true. Sunggyu is still sporting that bright red hair.”  
  
“Maybe the planet’s ozone wasn’t completely deteriorated?” Yunho hypothesized. “Especially if Leeteuk did something to destroy that sun…and I wouldn’t put it past him.”  
  
“But the ground was gel-like there,” Yoochun pointed out.  
  
Yunho shook his head. “We are members of Star Fleet. We know the rules on Earth do not pertain to all planets. We know that what is lethal to some species makes others flourish.”  
  
“Yes, that is true,” Ryeowook agreed. “But we also know that Commander Yoochun does not have severed femoral arteries here.”  
  
“I have my own theory about the Guardian,” Yunho told them. “It does whatever it wants, whenever it damn well wants.”  
  
Yoochun stood up. “And that theory is one I totally agree with.”  
  
“So what are we going to do?” Ryeowook asked.  
  
“We play along until we find the others,” Yunho informed them. “Because my gut tells me they are here.”  
  
“Has Jaejoong contacted you?”  
  
Yunho shook his head, answering the doctor.  
  
“If they are here then why hasn’t Jaejoong responded to you?” Yoochun asked as he walked over to the window and peered through a clear piece of the stained glass window.  
  
“It took time for Jaejoong to adapt in the other realities,” Ryeowook explained. “Plus, his telepathy has just returned.”  
  
“He was fine on the planet before we transported,” Yunho stated. “But you are correct it does take him time…especially if the place is crowded.”  
  
Ryeowook agreed, “Yes, and most likely he is focused on Changmin. I am sure he will find a way to contact you soon.”  
  
“Well, until he does make contact, I’d like to point out that it looks like we are in downtown London,” Yoochun drily informed them as he gazed out the window. “There is Big Ben.”  
  
Ryeowook rushed to the window. “No, no, no, no.”  
  
“Yeah,” Yoochun declared bitterly. “One fuck up and—”  
  
“And we can change the whole course of Earth’s history,” Yunho finished with a groan.  
  
  
  
*****************************  
  
  
  
“Sickbay is secure,” Heechul announced as he entered the exam room where Leeteuk stood over the body of Ji-Hoon.  
  
“Remove the stasis field.”  
  
Heechul walked over to the controls and removed the protective shield that was keeping Commander Ji-Hoon alive. The doctor watched as Leeteuk lifted a decorative sword and asked, “Do you want me to do it?”  
  
“No,” Leeteuk answered as he met Heechul’s gaze. “Is there no hope for the earthling?”  
  
Heechul’s eyes widened slightly. “There was no hope for this person long before we arrived. He was lost during the initial attempt.”  
  
“I am sure that provides you with some small measure of comfort.”  
  
“Does it not provide you with any?”  
  
“No,” Leeteuk answered as he slammed the dagger down in Ji-Hoon’s chest.  
  
Heechul said nothing, but nodded his head.  
  
Leeteuk let go of the dagger and added, “I do not care for the earthling that once inhabited this body. I do not care for the earthlings currently inhabiting this ship, except for one.”  
  
“Understood.”  
  
The two of them watched as the dagger started glowing red and soon the red glow spread out coating Ji-Hoon’s body.  
  
Leeteuk looked up at Heechul and asked, “It’s not blue…is it working?”  
  
Heechul’s eyes were now on the scanners as he shook his head. “No, it isn’t. The human body is dead and not even the ship’s technology will keep it alive, but our friend still exists. His consciousness is still there, but this body can no longer hold it.”  
  
Leeteuk clenched his fists. “This is most unfortunate.”  
  
“Most.”  
  
“The dagger should have worked,” Leeteuk stated as he ripped it from Ji-Hoon’s chest. “It was supposed to work…it should have worked.”  
  
The doctor’s eyes were devoid of hope. “Not for the likes of us.”  
  
“This is why revenge is our only chance for peace,” Leeteuk declared bitterly. “And I will have it.”  
  
Heechul said nothing as he watched the other man storm from the exam room.  
  
The doctor waited until the consciousness that had inhabited the late Commander Ji-Hoon left the man’s body and drifted away; lost to the enormousness of space and time. “We exist forever…and we never die…we will never know any peace.”  
  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
  
He was playing the piano.  
  
Except he didn’t know how to play the piano; Ryeowook knew how to play and Ensign Henry in engineering was an excellent pianist…but he was not.  
  
Kyuhyun’s fingers caught up with his brain and they froze over the ivory keys. Before he had time to try to understand what was going on a loud wail broke out from beside him. He turned to find that sitting beside him on the piano bench was a girl, no older than ten. And she was crying very loudly.  
  
He instinctively reached out to her to only pause midway when he registered that his arm was no longer his own. The fingers that had been playing the piano seconds ago were not his either. They belonged to a child; a girl.  
  
“Fuck…”  
  
“Young Miss, that is no way for a proper lady to speak,” a high pitched, shocked sounding feminine voice called out.  
  
Another voice, a louder baritone belonging to a man, questioned, “Governess Pricket, where did she learn such vulgar language? Do you think it was from a servant? I will have them dismissed immediately!”  
  
Kyuhyun swung around to find the disapproving voices came from an equally disapproving looking man and woman. Both were middle-aged; the man wore clothing that resembled a butler’s from Earth’s ancient past and the woman, who looked scandalized, was wearing a long gray dress. “Sorry…sorry,” Kyuhyun sputtered.  
  
The woman looked at him with suspicious eyes and questioned, “Why is she crying?”  
  
Kyuhyun turned back around to face the girl and was even more startled to find the girl…was not a girl…she was Changmin…Changmin in a girl’s clothing…no in a girl’s body. He tried to grasp what was going on. He saw a girl, but he knew it was Changmin; a very loud and upset Changmin who was crying uncontrollably. “I don’t know why…why he…she is crying.”  
  
“I highly doubt that, you two are always whispering in each other’s ears. What devious plots have you and your twin concocted now to get out of practice?” the governess demanded.  
  
“Twin…my twin…my twin?”  
  
The woman opened her mouth, but promptly closed it as another woman in a long blue dress with lavish embroidery burst into the room. “Out!” the woman shouted at the governess and the butler as she approached the piano. “Leave me alone with my daughters!”  
  
The butler, who was well accustomed to taking orders, bowed his head, and backed out of room. “Yes, My Lady.”  
  
The governess cast Kyuhyun a warning glance before she promptly followed the butler out.  
  
Kyuhyun watched as the woman rushed to the girl…to Changmin. His mind quickly did the math and the woman became recognizable as Jaejoong. “Did the Guardian bring us here?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Where are the others?”  
  
Jaejoong had his arms wrapped around his child. “I don’t know; even I need a moment to adapt to different realities. Help me lower him to the floor.”  
  
Kyuhyun quickly got up and assisted Jaejoong with lowering Changmin to the floor. Changmin was no longer crying. He had one hand tightly wrapped around Jaejoong’s wrist as he looked intently at his birth parent. “What about his mind? Is it his brilliant mind?”  
  
“No, it is an infant’s mind,” Jaejoong replied as he lowered himself to the floor and positioned Changmin’s head in his lap. “An infant whose bond with me is very intense…I won’t be able to leave him.”  
  
Kyuhyun winced. “Well…you did just give birth to him.”  
  
“That I did. He will be no help to you here.”  
  
“That’s too bad,” Kyuhyun replied wistfully as he walked over to a large window and looked out. “We could use his brain.”  
  
“His brain would not serve us…not here. We are that the mercy of the Guardian.”  
  
“It’s mercy?”  
  
“Yes, I should have known it was all too simple; of course it would want to toy with us before returning us to the ship.”  
  
Kyuhyun looked out past the well groomed yard that surrounded the house toward a busy street. It looked to him as if they were stuck in Europe during the early 20th century. The street had both ancient cars and horse drawn carriages. “Can you sense the captain?”  
  
Jaejoong ran a hand through Changmin’s hair, soothing his child as he slipped off to sleep. “My first instinct was to find Changmin and to take the necessary information I required from the staff’s minds to ensure his safety…which is startling.”  
  
“Startling?” Kyuhyun questioned, turning around to look at Jaejoong.  
  
“Yunho has always been my first priority, but now Changmin appears to have replaced him.”  
  
“Changmin is helpless.”  
  
“Yes, but it is still unsettling. Yunho and I share one life…”  
  
“But Changmin is your child…and all good mothers put their children first, or rather they are supposed to, but…there are times when the good of the many—”  
  
“Kyuhyun!” Jaejoong scolded, abruptly interrupting him. “This is not the time or place for you to deal with your mommy issues, and secondly I am not his mother…I am his birth-parent.”  
  
The commander arched his eyebrows and looked skeptically at the Joong.  
  
Jaejoong frowned. “I can read your mind now!”  
  
“I want you to read the captain’s mind.”  
  
“Then be a good daughter; shut up, and let me concentrate,” Jaejoong spat, before closing his eyes and focusing on his mate.  
  
_“Yunho.”  
  
“Jaejoong! Is Changmin with you?”  
  
“Yes, he is with me along with Commander Cho…who is my daughter of all things…actually Changmin is also my daughter in this reality.”  
  
“Is he okay?”  
  
“The Guardian in its foul attempt at humor had us separated long enough to cause Changmin to become momentarily distraught, but I was quickly able to appease him.”  
  
“Where are you?”_  
  
_“From what I could ascertain from the servant’s minds I am a highly born woman—which is no surprise. My superior soul would exert itself in alternate—”  
  
“I am a Duke…what are the chances the Guardian would send us to a reality where we are married?”  
  
“Highly likely, this Guardian seems to have a twisted sense of humor…why not torture me with what I can not have in our reality. To be married is a desire that has constantly been den—”  
  
“Yoochun and Ryeowook are with me…Kyuhyun and Changmin are with you…where is Junsu?”  
  
“He is not with us…although this house is rather large. He could be in another section of it.”  
  
“Can you not sense him?”  
  
“I am just now sensing you…you know you woke me too early from shifting. It happened much too quickly…why you insist on always trying to die is beyond me.”  
  
“Jaejoong…”  
  
“If I were bonded to someone as perfect and magnificent as myself…I would cherish every moment of my life and never play with giant, carnivorous reptiles that wanted to eat me.”  
  
“Jaejoong...”  
  
“I do not know where your ensign is, but honestly I am more concerned about where you are.”  
  
“I have just instructed someone...to return me to my residence. Ryeowook is with me in a primitive automobile and Yoochun is taking a carriage.”  
  
“What are you not telling me? I feel your fear…”  
  
“It isn’t fear.”  
  
“It is incredibly stupid and a waste of time to lie to an empath.”  
  
“It is slight apprehension you feel…not fear.”_  
  
Jaejoong rolled his eyes.  _“Why are you scared of the automobile ride? I thought you were supposed to be brave?”  
  
“I am brave! Apparently you are not 100% back if you think I am scared of this ride. It’s an adventure! Adventure is my middle name…or it would be if I had one.”  
  
“You are so cute when you are afraid…now you are up there with Changmin again.”_  
  
_“What?”  
  
“I had momentarily downgraded you to my second most important person in the universe.”  
  
“Oh, I am still second, I assure you.”  
  
“Yunho, you are not. You are tied with the baby. I promise.”  
  
“I am sure I am tied with the baby.”  
  
“Tied for first.”  
  
“Now don’t be silly darling…we all know you put yourself first.”_  
  
Jaejoong frowned.  _“You are once again downgraded to second place.”  
  
“My Love, I was teasing, and I shouldn’t have been…there is enough to worry about. If my suspicions are correct the Guardian has just landed us in the middle of a murder mystery…and a missing persons case.”  
  
“And unfortunately it would appear we are missing one earnest ensign.”_  
  
  
  
****************  
  
  
  
“Dude, don’t give me that look,” Kangin beseeched.  
  
Siwon, who practically had self-righteous condemnation radiating off of him, was sitting at a table with Kangin at a popular saloon among the crew members on the planet Zilax. “Absolutely not.”  
  
Kangin leaned over the table. “I swear I am not trying to pimp you out.”  
  
“It is _exactly_  what you are doing.”  
  
“No, no, no…” Kangin quickly disputed. “I am just asking for a favor.”  
  
Siwon leaned back in his chair, folded his arms across his chest, and looked every bit the disapproving prince he was. “How does prostituting me out serve as a favor to you?”  
  
“Honey,” an older waitress who was eavesdropping on them butted in to tell the handsome prince, “It would be a favor to any woman or man who is so inclined. You are one fine figure of a man. I am betting your friend here could get top dollar for you.”  
  
Siwon nodded his head and acknowledged the woman politely, while at the same time swiftly dismissing her with a wave of his hand. “Thank you for the compliment, but he is greatly mistaken about the type of favors I will bestow on my friends.”  
  
“Shame, I would have spent a month’s worth of wages on you,” the waitress said with a sigh as she walked to another table.  
  
Kangin shook his head as he watched the woman walk away. “You have the wrong idea.”  
  
“Do I?”  
  
“I just need you to fuck him…make him focus on something…someone else instead of the captain. I need you to turn off his lapdog mentality when it comes to the captain for just an hour.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“I told you it would be a favor.”  
  
“My relationship with him is very complicated at this time, and I do not wish to further complicate matters by leading him on.”  
  
Kangin eyed the prince scrutinizing him. “I thought you liked him?”  
  
“I do like him.”  
  
“But?”  
  
“We are not having this discussion.”  
  
Kangin groaned and sat straight up in his chair. “You are such a fucking gentleman.”  
  
“It was one of my princely courses as a child.”  
  
The ensign changed tactics and grinned. “If you won’t do it for me…then do it for our very beautiful friend.”  
  
Siwon’s eyes narrowed. “Does our very beautiful friend know of the request you are making of me?”  
  
Kangin nodded his head. “She couldn’t make it…because of someone’s overbearing jealousy.”  
  
“No,” Siwon agreed. “She could not. Why don’t you repeat the request in her words...not yours.”  
  
“What is wrong with my words?”  
  
Siwon glowered.  
  
“I just asked for you to screw him for an hour…I thought you liked that sort of thing now.”  
  
The prince stared down at the table and inhaled a deep breath before repeating, “In her words.”  
  
Kangin leaned back over the table and said softly, “We need you to distract him for at least an hour.”  
  
“Distract?”  
  
“Yes, distract.”  
  
Siwon shook his head. “And why did you not say so in the first place?”  
  
“Fucking him is a good way to distract him,” Kangin insisted.  
  
“I will find another way to  _distract_ him…is there a certain time you’d like me to distract him?”  
  
Kangin beamed. “Yeah, but don’t you want to ask more questions?”  
  
“No,” Siwon promptly answered. “No, I don’t.”  
  
  
  
*************************  
  
  
  
“The moon of Sansor has lost its glow.”  
  
Sooyoung, who walked beside her cousin as they strolled through the illusion together, looked down at the rainbow colored surface of the moon. “The holodeck provides an exact replica.”  
  
“No, it is not the same, or perhaps, I am not the same.”  
  
“You will be in time.”  
  
“No,” Sulli disagreed. “I am changed. I can not even be around men without being overcome with anxiety.”  
  
“That is not entirely true, Minho does not scare you.”  
  
“I do not consider Minho a man…Minho is family.”  
  
“You are doing better. You are also able to interact with your doctors, now.”  
  
“Maybe…a little better.”  
  
“Time…time is all you need. Give yourself time. You are doing so much better. Two days ago I could not have gotten you out of sickbay.”  
  
“True,” the younger woman conceded. “I had no desire to leave my bed no matter how much you and Minho bribed me.”  
  
“We were worried about you.”  
  
“I know and even if the Moon of Sansor has lost its glow it is still a magnificent sight and I am glad the holodecks are open. Aren’t you?”  
  
“The holodecks are unnecessary energy expenditure.”  
  
“Were you against them being reopened?”  
  
“Yes, the ship was already undermanned. Maintaining the holodecks is added work to the already depleted engineering department. Commander Yoochun was a great loss to that department…they do not need extra duties.”  
  
Sulli looked out at the scenery. “So many were lost...while…while I was sleeping.”  
  
“Even before…before the others were lost the ship was already dangerously undermanned.”  
  
“I sometimes forget that…the ship used to feel so full.”  
  
“It was full…it was full of powerful personalities that could fill up the empty spaces, but technically it was a skeleton crew,” Sooyoung explained. “We keep losing crew and we are not replacing them.”  
  
“What of Doctor Nam?” Sulli asked. “He’s new to the ship.”  
  
“He’s the only one.”  
  
“Shindong?”  
  
“Sulli, he lays in a coma as he suffers from an unknown ailment. Did you forget?” Sooyoung asked, concerned. Sulli had been far removed from her normal self since she had awakened, but the science officer had thought she was improving.  
  
“No,” Sulli answered. “I just wanted to bring up the subject of Dr. Nam.”  
  
Sooyoung stiffened. “I do not wish to speak of him with you.”  
  
“He doesn’t seem to like you.”  
  
“Sulli, this is not a subject I want to broach with you.”  
  
Sulli stopped walking and asked, “Is it true you stole his love away from him? That is very unlike you, cousin.”  
  
The older woman kept walking. “I am not discussing this with you.”  
  
“Is that confirmation of your crime?”  
  
Sooyoung turned around and implored, “Please, can we speak of something else?”  
  
Sulli studied her cousin, noting the woman’s discomfort. “Okay…I will change the subject.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“You said I was doing better. Why do you think that is?” Sulli asked, while studying her cousin’s face closely.  
  
“I would assume Dr. Kim has chosen an effective course of therapy.”  
  
“No, I do not think that is why.”  
  
“Why then?”  
  
“I dreamed of Changmin. I dreamed of him…and although, I still feel mentally weak…I do feel better.”  
  
Sooyoung smiled and walked closer to Sulli. “I am glad you feel better.”  
  
“At first he was Yunho’s son and then he was Jaejoong’s son,” Sulli wistfully told her beloved cousin.  
  
Sooyoung did not hide her confusion. “He was both their sons.”  
  
“No,” Sulli insisted with a bitter laugh her; but she did not smile.  
  
The peculiar look on her cousin’s face worried Sooyoung. “Perhaps we should return to sickbay.”  
  
“No,” Sulli disagreed. “You simply do not understand…because you only knew him as Yunho’s son…he was yours when he was Yunho’s son.”  
  
The science officer shook her head. “He was never mine.”  
  
Sulli frowned and explained, “To me…he is yours when he is logical and handsome, but when he is Jaejoong’s son…he is passionate and beautiful and this is when he is mine. He is a very good friend, and I miss him so much.”  
  
“He is greatly missed.”  
  
“He can not be truly lost…not forever; I could not bear it.”  
  
Sooyoung reached out and clasped the younger woman’s hand. “You must not think of him as being gone.”  
  
“Do you want to know what he told me?”  
  
“In your dream?”  
  
“Yes, he told me things in my dream. Do you want to know what he said?”  
  
“No,” Sooyoung answered quickly. “I do not want to know.”  
  
Sulli looked at Sooyoung oddly. “Why not?”  
  
“It was just a dream and it is not important.”  
  
“But it was Changmin…in my dream…he was so very Changmin.”  
  
“I have no interest in what he said,” Sooyoung replied firmly.  
  
“But I would love to know,” a third voice stated as he walked into the computer generated illusion, joining them. “Princess, what did Changmin tell you in your dream?”  
  
Sooyoung turned her attention to the doctor and quickly replied before Sulli could respond to him, “Dr. Kim, surely it isn’t any of our business.”  
  
Sulli, who had stiffened the moment Heechul had appeared, asked, “Can I go back to sickbay now…I don’t want to be here anymore.”  
  
Heechul’s concerned eyes landed on the younger woman. “Sulli, I am sorry if my presence here has unsettled you.”  
  
“I was doing better…I walked all the way here.”  
  
“I know you did,” Heechul replied, “but setbacks are not unexpected. True recovery of the mind takes time.”  
  
“It does,” Sulli agreed.  
  
He smiled at her with true sincerity. “I am so proud of you.”  
  
“I just feel really anxious.”  
  
“Princess, it is perfectly fine,” Heechul told her. “I will leave and if you still feel anxious I will use my influence to have you transported back to your room in sickbay, so you don’t have to walk through the ship again.”  
  
“Doctor Heechul…I think it was talking about Changmin that made me feel anxious,” Sulli quickly explained. “Not you…but you see, I always wanted Changmin and Sooyoung to be together.”  
  
Heechul smiled at her and coaxed, “Go on.”  
  
“Doctor, this seems—”  
  
Heechul held up his hand, stopping Sooyoung. “Lieutenant, please allow me to be the physician in this instance.”  
  
Sooyoung closed her mouth.  
  
Sulli continued, “But some people thought I was bonded to Changmin…and this upsets me. I want Sooyoung and Changmin to be together. I do not want to be bonded to anyone…not ever. Not even Changmin.”  
  
Heechul’s eyes seemed to sparkle. “Why do you say it like that… _not even Changmin_?”  
  
Sulli lifted her head and stared up at the stars that filled the horizon. “Because…because I am always better with him. Even in my dreams his touch…his touch vanquishes the monsters of my memories.”  
  
“Did Changmin touch you in the dream?” Heechul asked curiously.  
  
“He held my hand…and we hugged…” she paused and turned to look guiltily at her cousin, who was standing very still. “But it is because we are friends. He agreed…that I am not in love with him.”  
  
Heechul rewarded her with half a smile. “He said that?”  
  
“Yes, he did.”  
  
“Then it was just a dream,” Heechul confirmed as he backed away from them. “I shall now take my leave of you two.”  
  
Sulli watched as the doctor walked away, but something she had heard in his voice…amusement, had her calling out, “Why do you say…it was just a dream?”  
  
“Arch,” Heechul ordered, and the holodeck exit appeared inside the illusion. He turned back to face the two women and stated, “The Changmin we remember was very intelligent and this dream Changmin of yours…is not so smart.”  
  
Sulli opened her mouth to protest, but Heechul had already departed.


	2. Scream

As the carriage Yoochun was in approached the Duke’s residence, the valet that was sitting across from the engineer asked nervously, “Sir, are you sure this is a  _wise_  idea?”  
  
Yoochun eyed the tall, scrawny man sitting across from him. The man was older than Yoochun by at least two decades. “Why do you ask?”  
  
“It is highly improper to be invited so rashly. It is not the behavior of polite society and most certainly not the behavior of a man such as the Duke, who is known for his impeccable manners.”  
  
“Is he not my…” Yoochun paused not sure of his relationship with Yunho in the current reality.  
  
“Your cousin,” the valet supplied. “Yes, I know of your familial ties, but he has openly shown disapproval toward your horse racing, which he considers highly reckless, not to mention your gambling habits.”  
  
Yoochun smiled, because the Duke reminded him of his Yunho. “I believe he can not help but be this way.”  
  
The valet sighed, showing his disapproval. “But Sir, what of your other concerns…your other pressing matters?”  
  
“They will have to wait,” Yoochun informed the valet as the carriage slowed. “The Duke is worried about his missing brother, and I wish to provide him with some solace.”  
  
“Would you like me to administer to your other concerns?”  
  
Yoochun brightened as the driver opened the door to the carriage. “Yes, you do that.”  
  
“Understood, Sir,” the valet answered as Yoochun got out of the carriage.  
  
Yoochun was immediately greeted by Yunho, who had arrived earlier by car.  
  
“How was your ride?” Yunho asked his old friend as he walked up to one of the horses that had pulled the carriage and petted it, much to the driver’s surprise.  
  
Yoochun smiled at his friend, who had always had a deep love for animals. “It was fine, considering the primitive mode of transport. How did you two enjoy your automobile ride?”  
  
“I think I got a bug stuck in my teeth. Next time I am riding with you,” Ryeowook answered as he picked at his teeth with his fingernail.  
  
Yunho walked away from the horse and motioned them toward the mansion. “The automobile was interesting, but I still prefer starships to be my main mode of transportation.”  
  
“I second that,” Yoochun concurred as they stepped onto the portico and were immediately greeted by several maids and a butler.  
  
“My Lord,” the butler stated while bowing. “Her Ladyship is in the Drawing Room.”  
  
 _“His name is Donald.”_  
  
“Thank you, Donald; if you will please escort us there,” Yunho replied while smiling at the butler.  _“Have you found any sign of Junsu?”_  
  
 _“No.”_  
  
“Yes, My Lord,” the butler responded and led the way.  
  
Yunho continued his telepathic talk with Jaejoong as Donald led them to the Drawing Room.  _“How is Changmin?”_  
  
 _“Perfect…well, aside from the fact he is trapped inside the body of prepubescent girl.”  
  
“Hopefully he won’t remember it.”  
  
“We know for certain he won’t, but your commander will.”  
  
“How is Kyuhyun?”  
  
“He’s a terrible girl.”  
  
“And you?”  
  
“I am magnificent in any form.”  
  
“Indeed you are.”  
  
“Although, I had thought I was finally free of having a vagina.”  
  
“…”  
  
“You are wise not to comment.”  
  
“I love you in any form,”_ Yunho telepathically told his bondmate as he watched Donald come to a stop outside the Drawing Room.  
  
“I shall depart with your permission, My Lord, to oversee dinner.”  
  
“Yes, of course,” Yunho told the butler dismissively as he entered the Drawing Room with Yoochun and Ryeowook close behind him.  
  
Ryeowook looked around the lavish room that had huge Victorian paintings hanging on the walls, finely upholstered furniture and a Grand Piano. “This is a very nice room.”  
  
“Hello, Hubby,” Kyuhyun said, greeting Ryeowook with a wicked grin and a wink.  
  
The doctor jumped back a step as he gawked at his husband in horror. Kyuhyun was now in the body of a young girl. She was wearing a green dress and had two long pigtails in her hair. She had green eyes, light brown hair, and freckles were splattered across her cheeks…but she was unmistakably Kyuhyun. “Oh…the captain warned me…but how can you look and sound like a girl…but be you at the same time?”  
  
“Jaejoong explained that it is a trick of the Guardian…you basically see the child but recognize my soul.”  
  
“Oh, this is worse than when I was switched.”  
  
“You think?” Kyuhyun grumbled as he plopped himself down on a hand carved settee with dark green upholstery that matched the rest of furniture in the room. “I am a little girl.”  
  
Ryeowook sat down next to his husband. “Well…physically you are…for now.”  
  
“It’s the weirdest feeling.”  
  
The doctor awkwardly glanced at his husband. “Remember when I gave you so much grief for how you reacted to me when I was a woman?”  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“I’m really sorry.”  
  
Kyuhyun couldn’t help but smile a little as he reached out and took Ryeowook’s hand. “Apology accepted.”  
  
“We live such strange lives,” Ryeowook said wistfully as he looked at the small hand in his. “Your little fingers are as pretty as your real toes.”  
  
Kyuhyun laughed but when it came out as a girl’s giggle he immediately stopped and groaned instead.  
  
Yunho, who had gone immediately to Jaejoong’s side, knelt down on the carpet beside his mate, who had their son’s head resting in his lap. “He’s sleeping?”  
  
“He is.”  
  
The captain looked at his son and then back at Kyuhyun on the couch. “They look exactly alike.”  
  
“I believe the term is identical twins.”  
  
Yunho couldn’t help but smile as memories of Kyuhyun and Changmin’s friendship flooded his mind.  
  
 _“You find that comforting?”_  
  
 _“I can easily envision it,”_  Yunho told his mate and then asked aloud, “How are we going to find Junsu?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Jaejoong admitted. “Junsu has a very loud mind, but this is a crowded city…much too overpopulated. I had to focus to contact you and I can’t leave Changmin. He is too young to be out of my grasp.”  
  
Yoochun, who was pacing the room, demanded, “Then how are we going to find him? He is stuck in London…and he doesn’t know where we are.”  
  
“London?” Kyuhyun asked alarmed. “We are in the past?”  
  
“No,” Yunho quickly answered. “We thought we were at first but the sun isn’t right. It isn’t Sol. It is a parallel world.”  
  
“I can’t leave Changmin,” Jaejoong stated firmly as he ran one hand over his son’s long brown hair that was loose, unlike his twin’s. “And I can’t pick Junsu out…among a million people. I am good, but even I’m not that good.”  
  
Yoochun stopped pacing and asked, “If you didn’t have to have Changmin attached to your tit, could you sense him?”  
  
Jaejoong’s gaze darkened as he looked up at the engineer. “I am not bonded with Junsu, so I can’t sense him over distances.”  
  
“You have found people before,” Yoochun insisted.  
  
“Because I can read the minds and feel the emotions of people near me…but there are thousands of people in this city, so you tell me—where do I start looking? Who should I be looking for in their minds? Is he a woman…a man…or a child in this reality?”  
  
Yoochun started pacing again. “That is the problem; we don’t know. He could be anywhere…he could be anyone.”  
  
Yunho stood up. “Let’s focus on what we do know. At the council meeting earlier recent murders were mentioned.”  
  
“Yes,” Ryeowook quickly replied. “I am investigating those murders…or I should say, the person I currently inhabit is.”  
  
“Your brother is missing,” Kyuhyun supplied as he glanced down at Jaejoong. “Earlier Jaejoong said the staff was conflicted about your brother’s disappearance.”  
  
Yunho peered down at Jaejoong. “Why are they conflicted?”  
  
“Apparently they consider your brother an odd sort,” Jaejoong answered. “Donald highly disapproves of his behavior.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
Jaejoong concentrated and focused on the butler’s mind. “Donald thinks of him as highly reckless…makes bad decisions…always gambling away his money…he has caused the Duke much embarrassment.”  
  
“How young is he?”  
  
“Twenty years.”  
  
Yunho shrugged. “He’s a young man acting out. He wouldn’t be the first or the last. He’s barely out of his teen years. Teenagers of the past were known for their extremely self-centered behavior.”  
  
“True, but what if he got in debt to the wrong people?” Kyuhyun asked. “What were they called…mobsters? What was that ancient saying…something about sleeping with the fishes?”  
  
Jaejoong rewarded Kyuhyun with a smile of approval. “This is exactly what Donald believes to have happened. Donald is worried the Duke will be dragged into a scandal.”  
  
Yoochun stopped pacing and questioned, “So are we going with the assumption that Junsu is the missing brother?”  
  
“Seems like the obvious choice,” Yunho pointed out.  
  
“Yes, especially considering his history of being in peril even more often than Yunho,” Jaejoong agreed.  
  
Yunho glared at his mate.  
  
“It’s true,” Jaejoong said in his own defense. “Ensign Junsu has an ungodly knack for attracting trouble. He has had his neck broken, had his brain fried, been raped due to a Joong’s influence, almost killed by an egg, and…” Jaejoong paused to look up at the very worried Commander Yoochun, “And you have an unhealthy fixation on him.”  
  
“Jaejoong,” Yunho snapped aloud and then added telepathically,  _“Be nice!”  
  
“I am nice!”  
  
“Stop torturing Yoochun!”  
  
“I was merely stating a fact…I don’t even dislike Yoochun anymore.”  
  
“You have a funny way of showing it.”_  
  
Ryeowook, who hated the hurt look on Yoochun’s face, quickly added in an attempt to distract the engineer, “When you care about someone it is very easy to become fixated on them. Kyuhyun practically stalked me at the academy.”  
  
“What?” Kyuhyun sputtered in disbelief.  
  
“You did.”  
  
“I thought I bullied you! Make up your mind, which one was it?”  
  
“You bullied me first then you stalked me. I will never forget when you joined the academy chorus just to be near me…such a stalker.”  
  
“I joined chorus because I have an amazing voice…better than yours.”  
  
“Please…you didn’t even know you could sing at the time.”  
  
“I did,” Kyuhyun maintained. “You are the one that moved into my room.”  
  
“Because of your mother made me be your roommate.”  
  
“You went on holiday with me.”  
  
“Because your mother invited me.”  
  
Kyuhyun shook his head. “You are always using my poor mother as an excuse to cover your stalking.”  
  
“I did not stalk you…I didn’t even like you at first.”  
  
“You loved me from the first moment you saw me.”  
  
Ryeowook scoffed. “No, our love story does not start that way.”  
  
“You were jealous of my lovers,” Kyuhyun smirked and told Ryeowook. The smirk went well with his new childish face. “At least admit that.”  
  
“I will not…because it could not be farther from the truth,” Ryeowook told his husband, and then coyly added, “You hated all my boyfriends.”  
  
Kyuhyun jumped off the settee, and declared, “You didn’t have any boyfriends! I am the only boyfriend you ever had.”  
  
Ryeowook smiled up at his husband mischievously. “But what about Na—”  
  
Kyuhyun pointed his finger at Ryeowook, quickly interrupting the man. “That…that…that…that muscled dimwit was not your boyfriend!”  
  
The very amused doctor patted his hand against the settee and coaxingly told his husband, “Calm down and come sit with me. You already proved my point.”  
  
“I did not!” Kyuhyun replied, whining loudly. “You big…big…liar, pants on fire!”  
  
Yoochun, Jaejoong, and Yunho just stared at the commander at a loss, all successfully distracted.  
  
“Dude, you are so channeling the girl you’re currently residing in,” Yoochun told Kyuhyun. “Big time.”  
  
Kyuhyun used his hand to flip back one of his pigtails. “I am not!”  
  
“You are,” Yunho told his commander. “Now, sit down and control yourself.”  
  
The commander puffed out his cheeks and sat down beside his husband, obviously pouting.  
  
Ryeowook couldn’t resist but add, “You will listen to your dad but not me!”  
  
Jaejoong, who was peering at Kyuhyun curiously, advised, “He is experiencing a flood of raw emotions…we are not immune to the affects of the bodies we are in.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, and my balls itch…I think I might have some critters running around down there, but let’s get our focus back on Junsu,” Yoochun snapped. “So are we going to go with the assumption that Junsu was kidnapped by people the brother was in debt to?”  
  
Jaejoong appeared deep in thought as he scanned the other servant’s minds. “Donald’s opinion on the matter is not the only one. Other staff members have their own opinions on what they believe to have happened.”  
  
“Go on,” Yunho stated.  
  
Jaejoong glanced up at Yoochun and smirked. “Apparently he spent a lot of time gambling with the Viscount…a lot of the staff are shocked the Duke would invite the Viscount here. Donald does not approve of you at all…and apparently neither does the actual Duke.”  
  
“Because I gamble?”  
  
“Oh, you do all kinds of behavior that Donald disapproves…your main hobbies are drinking, racing horses, visiting brothels, and gambling.”  
  
Yoochun winked at Jaejoong. “So I am living my dream life.”  
  
Jaejoong closed his eyes and sighed. “I can not even muster up enough disdain for an adequate reply.”  
  
“I know I disgust you, but that is your problem, not mine.”  
  
“No, you are wrong,” Jaejoong denied. “You do not disgust me. You are a true friend to my Yunho…and if ever I was not in a position to protect him…I know you could be trusted to do so, even if your life depended on it.”  
  
Yoochun blushed slightly.  
  
Yunho beamed. “It’s about time you figured that out.”  
  
Jaejoong looked back down at Changmin. “His general uncouthness threw me off, but let’s not become sidetracked. Some on the staff think the missing brother might be the murderer.”  
  
Yunho and Yoochun shared a look and both of them shook their head. “Then it can’t be Junsu,” they both said at the same time.  
  
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Jaejoong warned them. “A soul can easily become tainted if the right circumstances present themselves.”  
  
“No,” Yoochun declared. “Not his.”  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
“You can’t be serious.”  
  
Woohyun gave Ensign Eunhyuk his most pathetic look and begged, “Please come with me.”  
  
Eunhyuk shook his head frantically. “No! No! No!”  
  
The pitiful looking doctor turned his attention to the chief of security who was standing next to them in the corridor outside Sooyoung’s quarters. “Sungmin, please…I need this…I need the closure.”  
  
“It isn’t closure,” Eunhyuk protested. “It’s called throwing a jealous fit.”  
  
“No, it isn’t,” Sungmin said, disagreeing, while giving Woohyun an encouraging look. “It’s always good to express your feelings, and I think it will make you feel better if you confront them.”  
  
Woohyun smiled triumphantly. “I knew you would understand. I just need to tell him…and her, because she betrayed me, too. She knew I loved him and—”  
  
“Loved?” Sungmin interrupted to question, “As in the past tense?”  
  
“No, I still do…I always will, but the point is she knew and still she went after him.”  
  
A dumbfounded Eunhyuk just gawked at the two men, astounded by their behavior. “They are two adults… _two consenting adults_ …they can have sex with whoever they want. They can date whoever they want! You might love him, but he doesn’t love you, so therefore you have no say over who he sleeps with. When the heck did I become the reasonable one?”  
  
Sungmin patted Eunhyuk on the back. “You are only reasonable because you haven’t felt the sting of unrequited love.”  
  
Woohyun inhaled a deep breath, slowly let it out and told Eunhyuk, “And I hope you never feel the cold sting of unrequited love, but until you do…you can’t possibly understand the pain I am in and it’s time for me to tell them how much they have hurt me.”  
  
The security chief rubbed his hands together. “Let’s do it. You have my support!”  
  
Eunhyuk backed away from them. “Well, you two can barge into Lieutenant Sooyoung’s private quarters and make total fools of yourselves, but this navigator won’t be anywhere near you.”  
  
Sungmin rolled his eyes at Eunhyuk. “I am just going to be there as moral support for the good doctor. I am not going to say anything to them.”  
  
“You have been such a good friend to me, Sungmin.”  
  
“I am trying my best to be—” Sungmin’s combadge went off interrupting him. The voice of Prince Siwon was immediately heard. “Lieutenant.”  
  
Sungmin quickly swiped his badge. “Siwon.”  
  
The cool voice of the prince stated, “I have recently become aware that the planet below boasts of having renowned botanical gardens. I was hoping you would join me for a stroll through one of them.”  
  
“Yes! I mean…when? I would love to go,” Sungmin quickly blurted out his excited response.  
  
“I am currently in the transporter room. I am very eager to see them.”  
  
“I am on my way,” Sungmin responded while giving Woohyun an apologetic look as he hurried down the corridor toward the lift.  
  
Eunhyuk snorted and shook his head as he watched the lieutenant leave. “That’s Sungmin for you…his lovers always come first. You are a fool if you ever believed otherwise.”  
  
Woohyun cast a scrutinizing glace at the navigator. “Do I sense bitterness?”  
  
“No, I was just letting you know what being his friend entails.”  
  
“And you sound bitter about it.”  
  
“I might have once been bitter, but not anymore.”  
  
A slightly perplexed Woohyun tossed his suspicions aside, grabbed Eunhyuk by the arm and dragged him toward Lieutenant Sooyoung’s quarters. “Unfortunately, that means you have to be my moral support, now.”  
  
“No!” Eunhyuk yelped but the doors to the quarters were already whooshing open and the doctor, who was much stronger than he appeared, had already pulled him inside.  
  
Eunhyuk squeezed his eyes shut and immediately started apologizing as he struggled to get free of Woohyun’s grip. “I am…I am leaving! I am sorry for the intrusion! He made me! Bye! I am going, now!”  
  
“Why?” Lieutenant Sooyoung asked, grabbing Eunhyuk by the other hand to keep him from escaping, “When we have gone to so much trouble to get you here?”  
  
A shocked Eunhyuk, who had just broken free of Woohyun’s grasp, swung back around to face the female lieutenant.  
  
“That’s right. We have something we want you to see,” Lieutenant Sooyoung told him. She then let go of him and walked over to stand beside Sunggyu, who was holding a container with three familiar crystals inside it. The navigator looked at the crystals and then slowly up at the acting lieutenant.  
  
Sunggyu met the navigator’s gaze and asked, “Eunhyuk, what would you do for a chance to see Junsu? What would you do to get him back?”  
  
“Whaaattt…” a stunned Eunhyuk stammered, unable to grasp what was going on. “Get him back…”  
  
“We believe there is a high probability that Ensign Junsu and the others are still alive. We believe they were never sent to a rebel outpost, but that they were transported to a planet with a Guardian instead. A Guardian that we believe transported them away before the sun exploded,” Sooyoung stated calmly and matter-of-factly.  
  
“We have footage that supports this theory,” Woohyun added, helpfully.  
  
Eunhyuk maintained eye contact with Sunggyu. “Why would…would the captain do that?”  
  
“Because he is an imposter inhabiting the body of Commander Leeteuk, and there is also an imposter controlling Dr. Kim,” Lieutenant Sooyoung elaborated. “Captain Jung discovered this and it is why he was beamed down from the brig…to go on an away mission. Ask yourself, what captain has someone in the brig one minute and leading an away mission the next? Sulli has also awakened and I believe that signifies that Changmin has been born. There is much more proof and we can provide it all for you.”  
  
“You believe…you believe it has all been a lie?” Eunhyuk asked Sunggyu, not looking away from the man that had saved his life not long ago. “You think Junsu could still be alive?”  
  
“Yes,” Sunggyu answered.  
  
“When we were on the mission together…you said you thought something was wrong, you questioned the captain’s judgment then,” Eunhyuk pointed out as he reached up and wiped a tear from his face as hope filled him. “You pointed out his flaws…you made me see his flaws.”  
  
“They are glaringly obvious, but what matters now is what you are willing to do,” Sunggyu told Eunhyuk. “Lieutenant Jung believed if you pick up one of the stones the soul switch will occur…you alone can confirm if they are still alive.”  
  
Eunhyuk looked back down at the stones. “But the captain forbid him from studying them further.”  
  
Sooyoung just grinned. “Yes, he does note that in his research, but he was curious and he had not learned to control his more impulsive Joong half at the time.”  
  
Eunhyuk looked confused as he turned his focus to Sooyoung. “But I thought a Joong had to activate them? When we first touched them, nothing happened. Also, we had to hand them back to their rightful owners to switch our souls back to the correct bodies.”  
  
“He recorded that he believes his initial hypothesis was incorrect,” Sooyoung quickly explained. “The stones are meant to protect people from the Joong…it wasn’t so much that switching the stones made you go back to your right bodies…but it was more like, you believed it would happen so it did. He believed the crystals to be powerful objects and once they are bonded with a person they will always work for them. He also believed as long as one member of the triad touches one, then they can activate the switch…he even hypothesized there might be a way to initiate the switch without holding them, but he did not have time to further study the stones.”  
  
“So…so if I touch it I will switch souls with Commander Yoochun? I will go to where he is?”  
  
“Yes, and hopefully Junsu will switch with you,” Sunggyu added.  
  
“Then what?” Eunhyuk asked curiously. “What do we do if we prove you are right?”  
  
“It’s best you don’t worry about that, just focus on Junsu,” Sooyoung told the ensign.  
  
“Why can’t I know? Do you not trust me?”  
  
“It is more like we don’t trust Lieutenant Sungmin…you know how he is. He is blindly loyal to the imposter,” Woohyun responded.  
  
Eunhyuk turned to face the doctor and suddenly realized, “You were playing us…you were fooling us all this time.”  
  
“I had to,” Woohyun said in his defense. “Sungmin was paying too much attention to the comings and goings of Lieutenant Sooyoung, so we had to make him think she wasn’t a threat to him.”  
  
“Wow, you are slick at lying.”  
  
Woohyun shrugged, unbothered. “My nickname is Greasy.”  
  
“You played Sungmin…you acted like you were so hurt because Sunggyu and Sooyoung were lovers…you played him perfectly. How did you know how to play him so well?”  
  
“That isn’t important,” Sooyoung told the navigator.  
  
“It’s important to me,” Eunhyuk protested. “Dr. Nam is quite the actor…or should I say quite the liar?”  
  
“You can say both if you want because it’s the truth. It is not a skill I am proud of, but it has kept me alive,” Woohyun admitted. “But believe me, it wasn’t fun for me. I had to act as if I really believed they were lovers. I had to convince myself it was true. I can’t help but feel pissed at them. The true art of lying is to feel—”  
  
Sunggyu shot Woohyun a warning glance. “Doctor, lets not get off topic. Lieutenant Sungmin had to be fooled for the sake of the ship and its crew.”  
  
“Did he?” Eunhyuk demanded.  
  
Sunggyu stepped up closer to Eunhyuk and challenged, “He did, and I would happily do it again. His blind loyalty to the late commander Leeteuk is a huge detriment to this ship and its crew. Now, you decide what you want to do. Are you going to run off and find him and tell him everything you have learned and throw away Junsu’s last chance or are you going to pick up a crystal and see if your best friend is still alive?”  
  
Without saying another word, Eunhyuk met Sunggyu’s challenge by reaching into the container and grabbing a crystal.  
  
  
***************************************  
  
  
“A carriage is our best option,” Yunho stated as he peered out the window toward the street. “You can ride in it with Changmin. Maybe if we get you closer to Junsu you can sense him.”  
  
Jaejoong, who had moved with Changmin to the longer sofa in the room, agreed. “It might work.”  
  
“And hopefully we find him quickly,” Ryeowook stated as he sat at the piano, resisting the urge to play the magnificent instrument.  
  
“And then I sincerely hope the Guardian returns us to the ship…and our true bodies,” Kyuhyun, who was still on settee, stated wistfully.  
  
“Can’t hack it as a girl, can you,” Jaejoong stated with a dismissive tone.  
  
“No, I can’t,” Kyuhyun readily admitted. “I feel too emotional, as you all might have noticed.”  
  
Ryeowook got up from the piano and walked over to his husband, who was trapped inside the body of a young girl. “You are doing fine. You are a kid…kids have less control over their emotions. I am sorry for upsetting you earlier.”  
  
Kyuhyun smiled up at Ryeowook. “Apology accepted.”  
  
The doctor reached down, lifted one of Kyuhyun’s pigtails and gently waved it.  
  
“Stop molesting my daughter,” Jaejoong snapped at the doctor. “You know if we get stuck here I will never allow her to marry you…you are just a lowly born public official.”  
  
Ryeowook let go of Kyuhyun’s pigtail and asked in a deadpan voice, “Molesting…really?”  
  
“She is above you in station. It is important that people do not get above their stations in—” Jaejoong paused and focused on Yoochun, who had stopped pacing and was standing completely still. “Yunho, I can’t sense Yoochun at all…his mind is totally closed off to me.”  
  
Yunho turned away from the window to stare at Yoochun, who looked completely dazed. “Yoochun…what is wrong?”  
  
Yoochun just gaped at him open mouthed.  
  
 _“Jaejoong!”  
  
“I don’t understand, one minute he was consumed with worry about Junsu. He really cares about the disaster prone ensign. He was very moved by the kiss Junsu had given him earlier…he thought they might finally have a chance together…and then nothing. It’s like he found a necklace and put it on.”  
  
“But he didn’t.”  
  
“I know that.”_  
  
Yunho stared at his friend at a loss and then his gut instinct kicked in. “Eun…Ensign Eunhyuk!”  
  
“Captain!” The ensign shouted as the new reality slowly fell into place around him and the people in the room became recognizable to him. “Are you really alive?”  
  
An overjoyed Yunho quickly rushed toward the ensign and engulfed him in a hug. “Yes! Did you use the stones?”  
  
“Yes,” Eunhyuk answered, startled by Yunho hugging him. “Is Junsu…is Junsu here?”  
  
“Not right now, but he is traveling with us,” Yunho carefully answered as he pulled away from the ensign.  
  
“Traveling?” a confused Eunhyuk asked.  
  
“The Guardian saved us, but it has been giving us quite the side trip,” Yunho answered. “Tell me what is going on with my ship.”  
  
“Sunggyu said you weren’t dead…he talked me into using the stones and he was right,” Eunhyuk whispered still in shock. “He was right.”  
  
Yunho grinned and reached out and squeezed both of Eunhyuk’s shoulders. “Sunggyu figured it out…he really is my favorite.”  
  
Kyuhyun, who had gotten up to stand beside the captain, concurred. “Mine too.”  
  
“Sooyoung helped, too…or maybe she was the one that figured it out. I am not sure,” Eunhyuk added. “They wouldn’t tell me everything…because I am friends with Sungmin, but I think they are plotting to take the ship back.”  
  
Jaejoong smiled as he felt all of Yunho’s joy and said aloud, “ _That woman_  might be growing on me.”  
  
Yunho commanded, “You can not tell Sungmin anything. They are right not to trust him.”  
  
Eunhyuk nodded his head. “I won’t. He would tell the imposter…but he doesn’t know he is an imposter and he wouldn’t believe me if I told him. I just want you all to be back on the ship…especially Junsu. I thought he was dead…and the last time I saw him we fought…I have to tell him how sorry I am. I don’t want him to hate me.”  
  
Ryeowook hugged Eunhyuk tightly from behind. “He loves you and he always has. You are his best friend and one fight will not change that.”  
  
Jaejoong waited till Ryeowook let go of the ensign to confirm. “Ensign Junsu is incapable of malice or hate.”  
  
“What are the imposters doing with my ship?” Yunho questioned Eunhyuk as he led him to the settee and sat him down. “Tell me what is going on.”  
  
“Commander Ji-Hoon went insane and tried to blow up the ship, but Ensign Henry was able to save the ship. Kangin chewed the imposter captain out for being a coward, called Sungmin a weasel…and I thought he was going to quit but he didn’t—”  
  
“He is probably aware of Sunggyu and Sooyoung’s plans,” Yunho said with a big proud grin on his face. “He’s probably helping them.”  
  
“The imposters…who…what are they?” Eunhyuk questioned.  
  
“We can not be sure. We believe they might be some type of rogue Joong…an outlaw that is able to take over human bodies,” Yunho explained.  
  
“Any human body?” Eunhyuk asked nervously.  
  
“No,” Ryeowook answered. “We don’t think so; we think the brain has to be damaged.”  
  
“What happened to Shindong?” Kyuhyun asked, worried for the space trader.  
  
Eunhyuk looked at Kyuhyun and blinked, trying to correlate the image of a young girl with the Kyuhyun he knew. “He got some rare disease…he’s in sickbay.”  
  
“Unconscious?” Yunho questioned.  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Eunhyuk replied.  
  
“I am glad he isn’t dead,” Ryeowook said, much relieved. “Life must hold some value for them.”  
  
“Perhaps…what about the away team you were on? Did you all make it back to the ship?” Yunho asked.  
  
“Yes, Sir, we all made it back.”  
  
Yunho sat down beside Eunhyuk and asked, “Did Lieutenant Sooyoung tell you how long you would be here?”  
  
“She said that Changmin had hypothesized I could end the switch when I mentally willed it.”  
  
Yunho frowned. “Changmin…hypothesized?”  
  
Eunhyuk let out a nervous laugh. “Apparently, he was researching the stones in secret.”  
  
 _“Was he?”_  Yunho asked telepathically as he glared at his mate.  
  
 _“I didn’t read his every thought.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“I find it very unlikely…highly unlikely that Changmin was studying these stones and you didn’t know about it.”_  
  
Jaejoong avoided Yunho’s glare but snipped mentally,  _“I bet you are glad he was, though.”_  
  
Yunho grunted and turned his focus back to Eunhyuk. “Tell me everything…and I mean everything.”  
  
Eunhyuk quickly complied, “We have been orbiting a planet for weeks now…the thing controlling Commander Leeteuk just says we are in mourning so he is letting us take extended shore leave.”  
  
“No,” Yunho said shaking his head, not believing it for second. “He is looking for something on the planet. He has been looking for ancient Joong artifacts. When you go back tell Lieutenant Sooyoung and Ensign Sunggyu he must not be allowed to find what he is looking for.”  
  
“No,” Jaejoong agreed, focusing on Eunhyuk. “He must not be allowed to find it.”  
  
“How can we stop him from getting it?”  
  
“ _You_  can’t,” Jaejoong admitted. “But  _that woman_  might be able to.”  
  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
The sound of screaming awoke him.  
  
His entire body was wracked with pain.  
  
His mind slowly adjusted to the sudden shift.  
  
He realized he was the one screaming and stopped.  
  
His eyes could not adapt to the utter darkness of the room.  
  
He was pressed against a hard surface and his wrists and ankles were bound tightly.  
  
His stomach churned as the smell of the room assaulted his senses. His body was damp and he knew he was lying in his own waste. There was another putrid odor filling the room he could not identity.  
  
Yoochun concentrated on reigning in his fear.  
  
He forced his mind to think rationally about what had just occurred. He quickly reasoned the Guardian had switched them again. He knew he was not in his own body because the voice was not his own. Any ambivalent feelings he had for the ancient time portal were replaced by hatred.  
  
Why the Guardian had seen fit to subject him to torture; yes, he was being tortured, or rather the body he was in, had recently been tortured ruthlessly. His skin felt like it had been flayed in places and he could feel blood slowly seeping down the sides of his body.  
  
The darkness prevented him from actually seeing the damage that had been done to him, but he knew it was immense.  
  
He desperately needed help.  
  
He opened his mouth and he yelled for the one person who had always helped him in the past, “Yunho! Yunho! Yunho!”  
  
He continued to scream till his throat was raw.  
  
It occurred to him he was very thirsty. His rational mind pointed out he was in a pool of his own bodily fluids; he had to be dehydrated.  
  
He continued to scream for his friend, but no rescue came. He tried a different tactic and cried out mentally,  _“Jaejoong! Jaejoong! Jaejoong!”_  
  
He wasn’t sure it would work, but surely even if they were in another crowded city, surely his terror could be felt by the Joong…but no, Jaejoong did not speak with him telepathically. He wasn’t telepathic. Yunho could only speak telepathically because he was bonded with the Joong. Logically, he knew yelling for the Joong would do him no good unless they were within range of the Joong’s telepathic and emphatic abilities.  
  
“Help me! Somebody help me, dammit! I swear you don’t want to piss me off!” Yoochun yelled, growing angrier and more terrified with each passing second in the darkness.  
  
After what had only been a few minutes, but what had seemed like hours he heard a door open from above him.  
  
“Young Sir, you are full of threats this morning,” a man’s voice from the darkness could be heard saying.  
  
Yoochun turned his head and saw the light of a candle approaching him. The face of the man holding the candle remained hidden by the darkness as he slowly descended down what must have been a flight of stairs.  
  
“Let me go!”  
  
“My master would be very upset with me if I allowed you to escape.”  
  
“I don’t give a shit if he is upset or not! Untie me!”  
  
“I can not.”  
  
“Listen here you bastard, I will kill you if you do not untie me. I will fucking kill you!”  
  
The man stepped closer and observed, “Your demeanor is much changed from earlier, and I see you have messed yourself again.”  
  
“Fuck you!”  
  
“I will have to clean you up before the master returns home. Do not blame yourself for your accident; it is not your fault. You would have no control over your bowels after the master’s…maltreatment of you last night. He does get over exuberant with his toys when he gets angry. He got very angry…I thought…I had hoped you could stir him…awaken his manhood.”  
  
A chill ran down Yoochun’s spine as the man drew closer and his voice became clearer.  
  
The man lowered the candle and his face came into view.  
  
The valet from earlier smiled sadly down at Yoochun. “He likes you better than the girls though…what he did to those girls…he has kept you alive longer than anyone. If you could just arouse him…I know if he could just feel aroused then the torture would lose some of its appeal. I promised him I would attend to you, and perhaps if I please him with my presentation of you…he will let me have a girl of my own.”  
  
Yoochun let out a bloodcurdling scream.


	3. Heechul

Eunhyuk’s eyes rolled back in his head and his body went limp.  
  
Woohyun and Sunggyu barely grabbed him in time to keep him from hitting the deck.  
  
“Crap!” Woohyun exclaimed as they gently laid Eunhyuk on the deck. “Did anyone take the time to actually consider what would happen to Eunhyuk if Junsu really was dead?”  
  
Sunggyu looked up to share a worried glance with Sooyoung before the female lieutenant insisted, “Junsu is not dead.”  
  
“Really? Are you sure? Are you an expert in how these stones work?” the doctor snapped as he examined Eunhyuk’s body.  
  
Sooyoung knelt down beside Sunggyu. “No, I am far from an expert.”  
  
Woohyun pried Eunhyuk’s eyelids apart and examined his pupils. “That’s what I thought.”  
  
Sunggyu, who was crouching on the deck across from the doctor, pointed out, “You didn’t think of it either.”  
  
“Forgive me if have been too busy lying my ass off to  _everyone_!”  
  
“We have  _all_  been lying.”  
  
“Yeah…but you haven’t had to lie to Dr. Kim. I swear that man is like a big, old cat ready to pounce on me. Lying to Sungmin is as easy as breathing…that man was born to be fooled, but the imposter inside of Heechul scares the shit out of me,” Woohyun told them as he glanced away from Eunhyuk to look at Sooyoung. “Do you have a medkit in here by any chance?”  
  
“No,” Sooyoung answered. “We can’t access the emergency med station in the corridor outside my quarters either, it will immediately alert sickbay.”  
  
Sunggyu tapped his combadge. “Ensign Jonghyun.”  
  
“…” Jonghyun did not respond.  
  
Sunggyu closed his eyes and a long-suffering look appeared on his face. “ _Better Than Sex_  this is  _Red Velvet_.”  
  
“ _Better Than Sex,_ here,” came the young ensign’s reply. “How can I help you,  _Red Velvet_?”  
  
“I need a medkit.”  
  
“It’s on its way,  _Red Velvet_ ,” Jonghyun answered. “ _Better Than Sex_ , out.”  
  
Sooyoung smirked. “He was not wrong to suggest we use codenames. They do have their purposes.”  
  
“And yet I remember you protesting the suggestion that yours be _Pound_ ,” Sunggyu reminded her.  
  
Her smirk faded away. “I prefer Angel Cake over Pound Cake. It suits me better.”  
  
The medkit appeared and Dr. Nam grabbed it. He pulled out a scanner and sighed when it confirmed what he had already determined. “He just fainted. He’s fine.”  
  
“Good,” Sunggyu said. “Now, wake him up so we can find out where he is.”  
  
Sooyoung concurred, “I agree; time is of the essence.”  
  
“I am the doctor here, and I think we should give him a minute,” Woohyun defiantly told them.  
  
Sooyoung repressed the urge to groan. “Doctor, I presume you are still channeling your animosity toward us?”  
  
Woohyun grimaced, acknowledging the woman had pegged him perfectly. “Ummm…maybe a bit.”  
  
Sunggyu did not bother to repress his growing irritation. “There isn’t anything for you to be jealous of!”  
  
Woohyun’s expression brightened considerably. “Really?”  
  
A flabbergasted Sunggyu slowly reminded the doctor, “The—two—of—us —are—not—in—a—relationship—so—there—is—nothing—to—be—jealous—of!”  
  
Sooyoung nudged Sunggyu with her shoulder and reached out her hand, laying it on Woohyun’s shoulder. “You must know that I would never come between you two. I am totally supportive of your relationship. I personally am very eager for the day he gets a clue.”  
  
Sunggyu just looked at her, aghast at the betrayal.  
  
Woohyun reached up and patted the hand that rested on his shoulder. “I do know that…he’s just so damn frustrating at times.”  
  
“I can totally understand your predicament,” Sooyoung said, sympathizing with the doctor. “I was in…enamored with a man for years…a man who was more machine than most androids.”  
  
“Should I leave, so you two can talk alone?” Sunggyu snapped. “Oh, wait; I can’t because we are trying to return the ship to its rightful captain! You remember him, right?”  
  
“Yes,  _Acting_  Lieutenant Sunggyu,” Sooyoung answered curtly, letting go of Woohyun. “We remember him. Dr. Nam is the physician here and we should follow his advice.” She then turned back to Woohyun and asked, “Let’s get back to the topic of the Heechul imposter. I thought you said he was acting less suspicious of you since Sulli awakened.”  
  
“I did say that,” Woohyun conceded. “He’s still sharp as a tack though…just as Ryeowook used to describe him.”  
  
“Yes, I have also noticed this from my limited encounters with him, but his concern for Sulli seems very genuine. My brother has repeatedly remarked on how similar the imposter’s behavior is to the real Heechul in regards to her,” Sooyoung stated, “whereas the imposter inhabiting Commander Leeteuk acts far less like the former commander.  
  
Sunggyu, who was fighting the urge to yank the med kit away from Woohyun and wake Eunhyuk himself, commented, “Heechul’s mind was the least damaged…maybe his memories are easier to access.”  
  
Sooyoung shook her head, disagreeing. “No, the Leeteuk imposter has access to Commander Leeteuk’s memories…it’s like the Heechul imposter can do more…it’s as if he can connect to the real Heechul’s emotions.”  
  
“Or he is simply playing us,” Sunggyu added. “He’s an imposter and the sooner Eunhyuk wakes up so we can confirm our theory that the others are alive, the quicker we can put into action our plan to take back the ship.”  
  
Woohyun grabbed a hypospray from the medkit and muttered, “Hint taken.” The doctor then injected Eunhyuk’s body with it.  
  
Eunhyuk’s eyes flew open and the three of them watched as relief flooded the man’s face and he muttered, “Am…I…back…on…the…shhhip?”  
  
Sunggyu looked down at the other man. “It depends. Tell me your name.”  
  
“Junsu…I don’t…I don’t sound like…myself…I sound like…”  
  
“You sound like Ensign Eunhyuk,” Woohyun finished for him.  
  
“Yes,” a startled Junsu responded.  
  
“Ensign Junsu,” Sooyoung said in a calm voice, while controlling the urge to smile triumphantly at having her theory confirmed. “Ensign Eunhyuk used the soul switching stones to determine if you were still live.”  
  
Junsu blinked and looked up at the beautiful lieutenant. “The pink crystals…the Soul Tri Spheres?”  
  
“Yes,” Sooyoung confirmed. “Did the Guardian transport you somewhere?”  
  
Junsu nodded his head.  
  
“Who else is with you?” Sunggyu asked eagerly.  
  
“The captain, Yoochun…Ryeowook and Kyuhyun…and Jaejoong…and Changmin…Changmin is born. He was born. He’s a baby.”  
  
Sooyoung allowed her relief to be heard as she asked, “Do you know where you are?”  
  
“No…we were on a planet with dinosaurs…but the Guardian transported us away to another place…it’s bad there…I don’t want to go back—” A look of pure horror filled Junsu’s face as he sat up quickly. “If we switched…is Yoochun in my place?”  
  
“Quite possibly…if the stones worked as they should have,” Sooyoung answered.  
  
Junsu was horrified. “Yoochun…in my place…he can’t be there! It’s terrible…it’s darkness and it hurts so bad there.”  
  
Sunggyu reached out and took hold of Junsu’s shoulders, questioning, “What are you talking about?”  
  
“The last switch,” Junsu explained, as he shook all over, terrified by the memory. “I don’t know where I am…I am in this dark room…I am tied up. I can’t move…and my body…I think I have been hurt badly. My whole body hurts when I am there.”  
  
Woohyun grabbed a hypospray and shot a sedative into Junsu. “Junsu, do you know who is hurting you?”  
  
An immediately calmer Junsu replied, “No, I have never seen anyone.”  
  
“You have no idea where you are?” Sooyoung questioned. “The stars aren’t familiar to you?”  
  
“No…no…no…you don’t understand,” Junsu answered. “I am in a dark room. I can’t see anything…I don’t know where the others are either.”  
  
“Eunhyuk will be where Yoochun was…and maybe he is with the others and they know where they are…or perhaps they can see the sky,” Sunggyu suggested hopefully. “He’s a navigator; he might recognize that section of space.”  
  
“Unfortunately, the chances of that happening are extremely small considering the Guardian can send them to a million different realities,” Sooyoung added.  
  
“But if Lieutenant Jung is born…Junsu, does Jaejoong have his telepathic powers back?” Sunggyu asked.  
  
“Yeah…because he saved us on the last planet we were on, but since we switched I haven’t seen anyone…I have to get back there,” Junsu insisted, fighting against the sedative as he stood up on trembling legs. “I can’t leave Yoochun there…It’s too terrible.”  
  
Woohyun got up and placed an arm around Junsu and said softly, “Just calm down…we are trying to think of a way to get you back to the ship.”  
  
Sunggyu was also up and said in a calming voice, “Junsu, we are trying to rescue you all…help us.”  
  
Junsu frantically shook his head. “I can’t stay here. He was hurt…he can’t be in that place. I have to go back. I have to—”  
  
“Junsu!” Woohyun called out in alarm as the ensign swayed on his feet. “Are you alright?”  
  
“I’m not Junsu…I’m Eunhyuk…you were all right…they are all alive” the navigator told them as he adjusted to the present reality.  
  
Sunggyu did not bother to hide his triumphant smile as he declared, “It is time to take back this ship!”  
  
Eunhyuk grinned widely and turned to face Sooyoung. “Yes, but first Jaejoong has something he wants you to do.”  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
The darkness was gone.  
  
He adjusted to the light.  
  
The man that was his best friend and the great champion of his soul sat beside him. He stared into the eyes that had always cast a warm light upon him; eyes that were filled with hope and anticipation.  
  
He waited and watched as the eyes grew alarmed and his savior’s posture showed his growing concern. “Eunhyuk?”  
  
“Eunhyuk,” he repeated with the Viscount’s voice. He was slowly grasping what was going on…what had happened.  
  
“No,” came a voice from across the room.  
  
He looked away from Yunho and met Jaejoong’s knowing gaze.  
  
Jaejoong was sitting on a long sofa with a young girl’s head resting on his lap. Jaejoong was staring back at him. “They have switched back…it is Yoochun.”  
  
“Switched,” he asked, confused.  
  
“Eunhyuk used the stones!” Yunho told him; his worry was fading and giving way to his excitement. “They know we aren’t dead.”  
  
Yoochun could not meet Yunho’s gaze so he kept his eyes locked on Jaejoong as a deep fear took root. “I was…I switched with Junsu.”  
  
Jaejoong nodded his head.  
  
Yoochun could only imagine what the telepath saw in his mind.  
  
He didn’t stick around to find out as he got up and fled the room, not sparing either of them a backwards glance or a word of explanation.  
  
He heard Jaejoong yell for Yunho to go after him.  
  
He didn’t wait for Yunho as he sped through the house. The staff looked at him as if he were insane and if he had had time to enjoy the irony of the situation he would have laughed, but he did not.  
  
He rushed though the house, ignoring Yunho’s pleas for him to stop. He pushed the huge doors open and stepped out onto the portico. “Take me home!”  
  
The driver of his carriage was waiting at the front of the house…with carriage and horses ready as if he had prior knowledge the viscount would not be staying long. Yoochun got into the carriage and shouted, “Home! Take me home!”  
  
  
  
********************  
  
  
  
Siwon stood next to Sungmin in a beautiful garden on the planet Zilax.  
  
Sungmin’s attention was on a long-necked purple animal that ate the blossoms off of the tops of the flowering trees in the garden.  
  
“Does it remind you of an Earth animal?”  
  
“An animal from Earth’s past,” Sungmin answered and the sorrow could be heard in his voice.  
  
“An extinct animal?”  
  
“Yes, the giraffes are long gone from Earth, but although their extinction is one of the great crimes of my people…it was Ryeowook’s fondness for giraffes that makes me both reminiscent and sad.”  
  
“Ah, I remember,” Siwon said understanding. “His notebooks were covered with images of them. I should have known. I did not know they were extinct.”  
  
“The last of the wild ones died out during the third great war,” Sungmin explained. “There is a long list of animals that died out due to humanity’s relentless selfishness over the centuries, but for some reason Ryeowook was always fascinated by giraffes.”  
  
“But you have the whales back.”  
  
Sungmin smiled. “The humpbacks; what magnificent, intelligent creatures they are.”  
  
“I was only a child when I learned of the great Captain Kirk and his legendary crew, and how they went back in time to save the Earth from the powerful probe demanding to speak with whales.”  
  
“It’s one of those grand stories that you can’t possibly imagine to be true, but it is. Captain Kirk…now, he was a great captain,” Sungmin said, full of admiration.  
  
Siwon looked oddly down at Sungmin. “Is he one of your personal heroes?”  
  
“He’s everyone’s hero…or he should be,” Sungmin replied, full of awe. “I’d have followed him back in time to save the whales without a moment’s hesitation.”  
  
“He…does not seem to have much in common with Captain Leeteuk.”  
  
“No,” Sungmin agreed, “not at all; Yunho was much more like Captain Kirk.”  
  
Siwon could not hide his surprise. “But you supported Captain Leeteuk…when he had Commander Jung arrested?”  
  
“Just because I supported Captain Leeteuk does not mean I was against Commander Jung. I did not hand over command of the Expectations to Captain Leeteuk…Commander Jung did.”  
  
“Are you saying you would have supported Commander Jung if he had not handed the Expectations over to Leeteuk?”  
  
“That is exactly what I am saying,” Sungmin answered, letting his disappointment show. “As Chief Security Officer I must support the officer in command of the ship.”  
  
“But you arrested Yunho…you put him in the brig along with Commander Kyuhyun and Commander Yoochun.”  
  
Sungmin avoided eye contact with Siwon. “Yunho was…participating in dangerous talk…once he gave Captain Leeteuk control of the ship…he should have supported him and remained loyal.”  
  
“So you think Captain Leeteuk did nothing to cause Yunho to be unsupportive?”  
  
“No, I am not saying that,” Sungmin admitted and it looked as if saying the words had cost him greatly.  
  
Siwon arched his eyebrows. “This surprises me because it is the widely held consensus on the ship that you have no problem throwing anyone in the brig that speaks against Captain Leeteuk or questions his judgment.”  
  
Sungmin rubbed the back of his neck and admitted, “That is true… _to a point_ …I can not allow a mutiny on my watch, but my security patrols report nothing but peace and calm. I had thought the rather…untimely death of Yunho would have stirred more of a reaction among the crew, honestly.”  
  
“When you say untimely don’t you mean  _suspicious_?”  
  
“No, I do not mean suspicious!” Sungmin exclaimed. “Siwon, you know how I feel towards you, but please do not say such things to anyone else.”  
  
Siwon started walking away from Sungmin. “Why? Would you throw me in the brig?”  
  
Sungmin’s mouth gaped open for a few seconds before he rushed after the other man. “Are you angry with me?”  
  
Siwon stopped and spun around to face the other man, allowing his irritation to be seen. “I have a sacred oath to watch out for you and it disturbs me when you behave in such a disingenuous manner.”  
  
“I am just following orders.”  
  
“Is that all it is?” Siwon asked, trying his best to control his expression and regain his princely calm.  
  
Sungmin studied the other man’s face. “What have you heard?”  
  
“You tell me.”  
  
“It was a long…long time ago,” Sungmin blurted out. “It was over…almost before it began. I didn’t think anyone knew. Who told you?”  
  
“You just did,” Siwon informed the lieutenant. “I had suspected as much due to your unfaltering sense of loyalty towards him.”  
  
Sungmin held up his hands. “My loyalty to him has nothing to do with the fact that we were once lovers.”  
  
“You are foolishly romantic…you would not be able to help yourself from only seeing the best in him.”  
  
“Our past relationship has not even been discussed between us since he regained his lucidity,” Sungmin disagreed. “I respect him, but I am not in love with him.”  
  
“Did you once love him?”  
  
“No, never,” Sungmin explained. “I still loved Kyuhyun back then.”  
  
“Are you sure you are not in love with Leeteuk now? It would explain a lot of your questionable behavior.”  
  
“I am positive. I swear it is not him I love,” Sungmin confessed to the prince. “I think we both know who I love.”  
  
Siwon physically withdrew a few feet and quickly started walking away from the other man. “Please do not make any declarations…not under these circumstances.”  
  
“I love you,” Sungmin called out earnestly as he followed after the prince. “I don’t know when it happened, but I love you.”  
  
“Sungmin…”  
  
Sungmin reached out a hand and grabbed the taller man by the arm to stop him. “I know you don’t love me back.”  
  
Siwon turned to look at Sungmin. “I do not feel comfortable having this conversation… _not_  at this time.”  
  
“I am not a complete idiot. I know you are a good man, and I know you don’t want to hurt me.”  
  
Siwon reached out and covered Sungmin’s hand that was wrapped around his arm. “I don’t want to hurt you, so please let us postpone this discussion.”  
  
Sungmin smiled sadly up at Siwon. “If I was a kinder…a stronger man, I wouldn’t have confessed to you, but I had to tell you. I think you are an extraordinary person and I’m in love with you.”  
  
“You words honor me, but this is not the time or the place to have this discussion.”  
  
“I don’t want you to be honored by my words,” Sungmin stated, refusing to end the discussion. “I want you to feel what I feel…I know it is difficult because I am a man, but I am willing to change that.”  
  
Siwon’s eyes widened and for once the prince was speechless.  
  
“I am willing to become a woman for you. It is a simple procedure and I would be lying if I said the thought had never occurred to me before.”  
  
“No,” Siwon whispered, horrified as he remembered a conversation he had once had with Kangin. “I can not possibly allow you to entertain such thoughts. If I have led you to believe—” Siwon stopped midsentence as Sungmin disappeared without a word of warning.  
  
Siwon looked down to the ground and noticed that Sungmin’s phaser was all that remained of the lieutenant.  
  
  
****************  
  
  
Sungmin suddenly found himself aboard the Expectations standing on the transporter platform. Lieutenant Sooyoung and Ensign Jonghyun stood behind the controls and both were looking at him. “What is the meaning of this?”  
  
Lieutenant Sooyoung coolly stepped forward and stated, “Lieutenant Sungmin you are officially being charged with violating Federation directive 17.5 and directive 78.4. You are under arrest.”  
  
Sungmin stared at Lieutenant Sooyoung, completely baffled.  
  
She remained perfectly calm and added, “I personally charge you with breaking code 55 of Star Fleet’s Rules of Behavior.”  
  
“Harassment,” Sungmin gasped in disbelief. “You can’t be serious!”  
  
“Do you deny, lieutenant, that you have violated my privacy on repeated occasions?”  
  
Sungmin stepped forward with his hands stretched out in a nonthreatening manner. “Lieutenant Sooyoung, I am the security chief of this ship; it is my job to know what is going on.”  
  
“Lieutenant Sungmin, you did it for personal reasons, not official.”  
  
“You can not prove it.”  
  
“I can and I will,” Lieutenant Sooyoung evenly told the security chief. “A court of your peers will determine your punishment.”  
  
“Does the captain know about this?”  
  
“The captain is not aboard the ship.”  
  
Sungmin fumed. “So you are doing this without his permission?”  
  
“I assure you the  _captain_ will approve of your arrest.”  
  
Sungmin glanced at Ensign Jonghyun and back at Lieutenant Sooyoung and asked with amusement, “So you two are putting me under arrest?”  
  
Sooyoung smiled widely as the door to the transporter room whooshed open and Ensign Kangin along with five other members of security entered. “Lieutenant Sungmin, as the active senior officer currently on board the ship I am officially arresting you, but security will be escorting you to the brig. If you will now excuse me, I have many things that require my immediate attention.”  
  
Sungmin gaped at his security officers in disbelief as Lieutenant Sooyoung exited the transporter room.  
  
“Escort the lieutenant to the brig,” Kangin ordered. The young security officers quickly surrounded Lieutenant Sungmin and motioned him toward the door.  
  
“I can’t believe it…you all have betrayed me,” Lieutenant Sungmin accused as he allowed them to escort him to the brig. “I always treated you fairly and decently.”  
  
“Yep,” Kangin agreed as they walked down the corridor toward the security department. “Kinda like Yunho always treated you  _fairly and decently_.”  
  
Sungmin winced, feeling the sting of Kangin’s words. “I was following orders when I arrested Commander Jung.”  
  
Kangin glowered at Sungmin. “You were a dumbass to follow those orders, and now you have been arrested for being a dumbass.”  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
“Sir, the power and all the ship’s controls have been cut off from the bridge,” Ensign Horvejkul informed Lieutenant Yesung, who was currently in command while Captain Leeteuk was on the planet.  
  
Lieutenant Yesung got up from the captain’s chair and turned toward the science station where Ensign Minho sat. “Explain.”  
  
“All power to the ship has been transferred to engineering,” Ensign Minho replied. “Engineering now has control of the ship.”  
  
Yesung looked around the bridge and noticed none of the bridge crew looked particularly surprised or upset by the news. He focused his attention on Ensign Eunhyuk, who appeared more fidgety than usual. “Ensign Eunhyuk, is there a mutiny taking place on board this ship that I am not aware of?”  
  
Eunhyuk turned around and looked directly at Lieutenant Yesung. “Perhaps we should wait for an official announcement, Sir.”  
  
Lieutenant Yesung waved his hand dismissively at Eunhyuk and demanded of the bridge crew, “Who is leading the mutiny?”  
  
“Sir, probably the person in charge of engineering,” Ensign Horvejkul helpfully offered. “Engineering  _is_ controlling the ship.”  
  
“Oh,” Lieutenant Yesung responded as he sat back down and tapped his combadge. “Acting Lieutenant Sunggyu, if you are taking over the ship…you can do it from the bridge. I happily surrender it to you.”  
  
“Thank you, Sir,” was Sunggyu’s immediate response.  
  
The bridge crew all stared at Lieutenant Yesung in disbelief.  
  
Lieutenant Yesung shrugged. “I was stripped naked, tied to pole, drugged with a powerful paralytic, and left to be dinner for a swarm bloodsucking spider bats…don’t think I have forgotten who saved my ass.”  
  
  
  
**************  
  
  
Lieutenant Sooyoung entered the emergency transporter room on Deck 18 and announced, “Lieutenant Sungmin is in the brig. We are free to take the battle bridge.”  
  
Acting Lieutenant Sunggyu turned around to greet her. “We don’t need to.”  
  
“We don’t?”  
  
Lieutenant Donghae, who was at the transporter controls, explained, “Lieutenant Yesung has already surrendered the bridge to our acting lieutenant here.”  
  
“Really?” Sooyoung questioned, sounding very pleased.  
  
Donghae grinned at Sunggyu and teased, “We will be calling him captain any day now.”  
  
“No,” Sunggyu denied. “He only surrendered to me because he knows engineering is controlling the ship; he doesn’t know of either of yours’ involvement.”  
  
“I just arrested Lieutenant Sungmin; word of my involvement is probably spreading at warp speed throughout the ship as we speak,” Sooyoung stated. “Where did you two place the imposters?”  
  
Donghae smiled proudly. “Somewhere where they can do no harm.”  
  
Lieutenant Sooyoung looked both curious and worried. “Please elaborate.”  
  
“As you know, Eunhyuk reported that Captain Yunho ordered that they should not be allowed to find whatever they are looking for,” Donghae explained.  
  
“Yes, I would not forget that,” she replied. “Hopefully, Jaejoong’s plan will resolve this issue, but where did you put them?”  
  
Sunggyu continued, “He put them on an iceberg out at sea.”  
  
Lieutenant Sooyoung’s mouth fell open and before she could comment Donghae quickly added, “With survival gear.”  
  
“Excellent choice,” she told him approvingly.  
  
“I am still uneasy,” Sunggyu informed them. “They were able to enter the ship and take over the bodies of Dr. Kim and Commander Leeteuk without the assistance of a transporter…I do not think their mobility is limited like ours.”  
  
“We have had this discussion before,” Sooyoung replied. “We can not be certain when they entered the ship…and if their mobility is not dependent on the ship…then why take it?”  
  
“I wish I knew,” Sunggyu told her, unable to shake his uneasiness.  
  
“I do know,” Donghae said, changing the subject, “that we need to make a ship wide announcement letting the crew know what is going on.”  
  
“Which one of you wants to make it?” Sunggyu asked the lieutenants.  
  
“You are making it,” Sooyoung told the acting lieutenant. “Right after you take your rightful position on the bridge.”  
  
“You are the senior officers,” Sunggyu reminded them. “You both are highly respected.”  
  
“No,” Donghae disagreed. “You are the hero of the day. You control this ship because you control the engineering and security departments.”  
  
Sunggyu protested, “No, we control engineering and security.”  
  
“Modesty is not an attractive quality on you,” Lieutenant Sooyoung said, reprimanding the acting lieutenant.  
  
“No, it isn’t,” Donghae agreed. “Like it or not, you carry the most sway on this ship right now. The fact that you were a mere cadet when we were stranded in this galaxy bears no weight on what is going on now. This is not about seniority.”  
  
Sunggyu’s modesty evaporated. “Agreed; I will take command until the time Captain Jung is returned to us. And my first order is to send Lieutenant Donghae to the brig.”  
  
“The brig?” Lieutenant Donghae asked, startled.  
  
“Yes,” Sunggyu confirmed. “Your involvement in this takeover has been hidden from most of the participants. I need you to appear untarnished in case the imposters do manage to get back on the ship and take control of it.”  
  
“That is a smart move,” the transporter chief said approvingly.  
  
“I would also suggest that you be placed with Lieutenant Sungmin,” Sooyoung advised. “Perhaps you can  _accidentally_  clue him into the fact that Prince Siwon assisted us.”  
  
Donghae winced. “Lieutenant, you have a cruel streak.”  
  
“Not normally,” she told him. “But it is in our best interests to keep him off his game.”  
  
“Agreed,” Sunggyu concurred as he tapped his combadge and ordered, “Ensign Kangin, report to the emergency transporter room on Deck 19 and escort Lieutenant Donghae to the brig.”  
  
Kangin replied immediately, “Yes, Sir.”  
  
  
************************  
  
  
“I am not amused,” the being controlling Commander Leeteuk declared as he looked out past the edge of the glacier toward the frigid sea.  
  
The being that inhabited Heechul wrapped his arms tightly around his middle. “I will admit to being slightly amused.”  
  
“They craftily plotted against us, I will give them that; but they are greatly misinformed if they think this piece of ice can hold us.”  
  
“Are we leaving already?”  
  
“No, not yet,” Leeteuk replied, turning around to survey the iceberg. “An Earthling randomly chose this place of all the places on the planet to strand us.”  
  
“You think it might be here?”  
  
“I can’t discount the possibility. Once I ascertain if…” Leeteuk paused, tilted his head and went completely still.  
  
Heechul shivered as he felt a powerful presence on the planet.  
  
The moment of silence passed and Leeteuk whispered, “What have they done?”  
  
Heechul looked up at the sky. “Jaejoong must be back…he must have contacted the Elders…this attempt at revenge was never meant to be.”  
  
Leeteuk swung around to glare at the other man. “Who are you? Are you my ageless friend…or is the Earthling back in control of his body?”  
  
The other man took a step backwards, taken aback by the accusation. “I am your friend! The Earthling has no power over me!”  
  
“I think the Earthling that you reside in has been exerting himself quite frequently, actually. I fear we gravely underestimated him.”  
  
“We did not! I have merely been playing a role.”  
  
“No; you have empathy! You saved the trader when you should have let him die! The healer has great influence over you!”  
  
“No!” the being inside of Heechul denied. “I explained my reasons to you…I have no empathy…if I did… _if_ I  _did_  have empathy I would not be in this predicament to begin with!”  
  
The other man stepped closer and stared him in the eyes. “If that is true, you will support me in this next venture…I will have revenge.”  
  
“Of course I will support you!”  
  
“We will see; but I warn you, I will change the entirety of time if it is a means to my revenge.”  
  
  
*************  
  
  
  
Sungmin stopped his pacing and asked, “You too?” as Lieutenant Donghae was placed in the cell with him.  
  
“Him too,” Ensign Kangin said, answering for Donghae. “All the mutinous pets are being kept together.”  
  
“Mutinous is a strong word,” Sungmin said, warning the older man. “You are the one committing mutiny. Stop now, before it is too late.”  
  
Kangin turned and walked away, while all the time laughing as if Sungmin had said the funniest thing he had ever heard in his life.  
  
“Do you have any idea what is going on?” Donghae asked Sungmin as he leaned against the wall while Sungmin resumed pacing.  
  
“All I know is that Lieutenant Sooyoung ordered my arrest.”  
  
“For what reason?”  
  
“For most of the same things Commander Jung had accused me of already…and harassment.”  
  
“Harassment?”  
  
Sungmin visibly winced and confessed, “I hate to admit it, but she might have had grounds…if she had not been plotting a mutiny at the time.”  
  
“So it would appear that Lieutenant Sooyoung is in on it.”  
  
“Do you know who is leading it? I find it very doubtful that she could get enough people behind her to lead a mutiny. She might be the only woman on board…but she doesn’t wield that kind of influence.”  
  
Donghae appeared to be concentrating as he explained, “I am not sure of all the players. The main transporter room was being watched by security. I went to the emergency transporter room but Ensign…I mean Acting Lieutenant Sunggyu apprehended me there.”  
  
“Sunggyu,” Sungmin said with a groan. “That explains why my whole department turned on me.”  
  
Donghae just looked questioningly at the former security chief.  
  
“Most of them were cadets with him. He was a star at the academy…you know how we worship our stars at the academy.”  
  
“It does make sense…he would have the necessary sway needed.”  
  
“Once he got Kangin on his side, I never had a chance.”  
  
“He would have engineering behind him, too,” Donghae commented. “I could tell the entire engineering department was growing more and more disenchanted with the captain.”  
  
Sungmin nodded his head and reluctantly admitted, “It’s because he put Commander Ji-Hoon in charge of engineering. I have total respect for the captain but that department was run by Commander Yoochun—they would not tolerate a fool bossing them around. When I heard about Ji-Hoon being put in charge…I could just imagine Yoochun rolling around in his grave.”  
  
“Commander Yoochun doesn’t have a grave and neither do Yunho, Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, Junsu, or Jaejoong,” Donghae reminded the engineer. “Their microscopic remains are just floating in space…remnants of a dead world.”  
  
Sungmin closed his eyes and turned his head. “I don’t like thinking about that.”  
  
Donghae studied Sungmin for a moment before asking, “So how did they get you?”  
  
“I was on the planet with Siwon…having a very important conversation at the time, when I was beamed back to the ship without warning.”  
  
“I thought you and Siwon were no longer together.”  
  
“We weren’t…aren’t, but surprisingly he…” Sungmin paused before continuing. “He asked me to take a stroll with him on the planet.” His pacing slowed.  
  
“That was convenient timing for them,” Donghae replied, pushing the imaginary knife deeper into Sungmin’s back.  
  
Sungmin paled and looked sick. “Wasn’t it, though?” He came to a stop next to Donghae.  
  
Sunggyu’s voice could be heard all over the ship as his announcement played, sparing Donghae from having to respond to Sungmin.  
  
“This is Acting Lieutenant Kim Sunggyu of the U.S.S Expectations. I have temporarily taken command of the ship, until the time Captain Jung can be returned to his rightful position as captain. Irrefutable evidence has come to light proving Captain Jung and the others assumed dead are in fact alive. We have also been able to ascertain Commander Leeteuk, Dr. Kim Heechul, and the late Commander Ji-Hoon are/were being controlled by alien beings. I have made all the evidence available to all crew members, please draw your own conclusions; but make no mistake, I am in control of this ship until the time Captain Jung is returned to it. If you are unable to assist us with our rescue mission I ask that you limit yourself to your quarters or the recreational areas of this ship. If anyone attempts to hamper our efforts to rescue Captain Jung and the others they will be dealt with swiftly and then relocated to the brig.”  
  
Sungmin, who had stopped breathing half way through Sunggyu’s announcement gasped and looked pleadingly at the other man. “Do you…Donghae, do you believe it? Could they be alive?”  
  
Donghae slowly nodded his head.  
  
The security chief lost his footing and leaned against the wall to prevent himself from falling to the deck. The blinders he had been wearing fell away and he asked in a voice mixed with hope and horror, “Kyuhyun…Ryeowook, Junsu, Yoochun…they…could be alive. Yunho was right…he was right.”  
  
Donghae said nothing as he watched Sungmin… _his friend_ come to terms with what was actually happening and what he had allowed to happen.  
  
“What have I done?” Sungmin asked as he slid down to the deck.  
  
  
  
  
*******************  
  
  
“Sir, we are receiving a message…from the Warlord Hangeng,” Ensign Eunhyuk told Lieutenant Sunggyu, who sat in the center of the bridge in the captain’s chair.  
  
Sunggyu quickly glanced back at Lieutenant Sooyoung, who was manning the science station. “It appears they got your message.”  
  
Lieutenant Sooyoung stepped down from the back of the bridge. “We will now see if Jaejoong’s plan worked.”  
  
Lieutenant Sunggyu ordered, “Let’s see what they have to say, Ensign Eunhyuk.”  
  
The display at the front of the bridge immediately showed the beautiful image of the Joong Victoria. She smiled at Sunggyu and stated, “Why you tricky little human, I am impressed. Look at how far you have moved up in the universe since last we met.”  
  
“Only temporarily I assure you.”  
  
A very handsome man came into view as he stood beside Victoria and he told the acting lieutenant, “If you were a Warlord you would take the ship and never give it back.”  
  
“Sir, I am just a Star Fleet officer.”  
  
“Shame,” the man told Sunggyu, but his gaze landed on Sooyoung. “A man must take every opportunity that is offered him…or so some believe, but I do admire loyalty.”  
  
“As do I, Lord Hangeng, and my loyalty has always been to the Federation and Star Fleet,” Sooyoung replied unflinchingly.  
  
“Yes, Sooyoung your loyalty is not in doubt…nor was it ever,” Victoria told the other woman. “For the mercy Prince Jaejoong and Captain Yunho showed me and my mate…after our regrettable actions on Kanzi, I have done as you asked of me. The object in question has been removed from the planet by the Elders of Joong.”  
  
Lieutenant Sooyoung rewarded her former captors with a smile. “Thank you…we couldn’t contact Joong ourselves.”  
  
“No,” Victoria agreed. “Only the Joong are allowed to contact my home world or permitted entrance through the Guardians.”  
  
“We mere mortals are not worthy,” the warlord told his mate while looking lovingly upon her.  
  
Victoria smiled back at her mate and then back to crew of the Expectations. “We will take our leave now.”  
  
Sunggyu nodded his head in acknowledgement and ordered, “Expectations out.”  
  
The display at the front of the bridge went black. Sunggyu looked up at Sooyoung and said, “I wonder…”  
  
“You wonder what?” Sooyoung asked.  
  
“If we could go to Joong?” Sunggyu asked. “The Guardian transports us…I wonder if we could go to the Joong home world?”  
  
Eunhyuk turned around in his seat and told the acting lieutenant, “Sir, I highly doubt it is trip you would remember even if you did manage to make it there.”  
  
Sunggyu laughed. “Yes, you are probably correct. I highly doubt they would let us remember it.”  
  
“I could always visit and tell you about it,” Sooyoung teased. “Then I could have a whole planet of Joongs irritated at me for having the audacity to have a closed mind.”  
  
“Perhaps,” Lieutenant Sunggyu agreed. “Now, I think it is time we leave this planet. We have been here much too long. Set a course for the Vallian sector, Ensign Eunhyuk.”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Eunhyuk answered, eager to move the ship forward and closer towards the rescue of his best friend.  
  
“Not so fast,” the voice of Commander Leeteuk ordered as he appeared at the front of the bridge with Heechul standing next to him. “I have a parting gift for you first.”  
  
Sunggyu along with the rest of the bridge watched as the imposter took out a decorative dagger and drove it into the deck of the bridge.  
  
A perplexed Sunggyu got up from his chair and carefully approached the beings. “Surely you know a weapon of that type can not harm this ship.”  
  
The imposter dramatically rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You primitives of Earth, you have no idea what anything can do in this day and time…you don’t even know what age it is for that matter. How can a mere necklace control a telepathic being? How can this dagger destroy this ship? How can I destroy suns?”  
  
Sunggyu remained calm. “Then tell me…how can you do these things?”  
  
Leeteuk grinned, causing a chill to run down Sunggyu’s spine. “Because the Gods made them work. Yes, I said Gods, you little primitive creatures. Gods made them work…before they lost themselves to the great nothingness that is ambivalence. “You think you are so advanced…you think there is no room for Gods in your science.”  
  
The lights dimmed.  
  
“Some beings are incredibly advanced and they would be viewed as Gods by lesser developed species…the Q Continuum for example,” Sunggyu explained as his eyes darted around the bridge as warning lights started flashing.  
  
“The Q Continuum is full of moody drama queens…if only they were who I was talking about…hell, I would have been a great Q.”  
  
Suddenly red alerts started sounding all over the ship. Sooyoung quickly made it back to her science station.  
  
“What have you done?” Lieutenant Sunggyu demanded.  
  
Leeteuk smiled down at the dagger in his hand. “I couldn’t have done it without your help. I need to thank you for being clever enough to help me get this. Without you I’d never have been able to obtain it.”  
  
Sunggyu stared at the dagger in alarm.  
  
“This is what your friend the spider was protecting…from the likes of me. You don’t know how many others had tried and failed to acquire it. Thank you, so much.”  
  
Sunggyu glared at the imposter. “You are not welcome.”  
  
“Lieutenant,” Sooyoung warned from behind Sunggyu at her science station. “The ship…appears to be slowly deteriorating and before the scanners failed they did show the sun the planet Zilax is orbiting is indeed about to explode.”  
  
“The planet?” Sunggyu questioned.  
  
“It will not be able to withstand the radiation and the heat…all life on the planet will be dead in seconds.”  
  
Sunggyu cast his gaze between the two imposters and then settled it on the Leeteuk imposter. “What do you want? If you want the ship back then I will gladly hand it over to you. There is no need for anyone to die. I will do whatever you want!”  
  
“What I want, I can’t have, thanks to you meddling in matters that don’t concern you!” Leeteuk hissed. “Earthling, I am not sure how you got the Elders to intervene without the prince’s influence.”  
  
Heechul smiled at Sunggyu. “He is formidable. I did warn you.”  
  
“He will be dead along with all the rest of them,” Leeteuk replied coldly. “They will all pay.”  
  
“You can have the ship back, please just stop this—” Sunggyu abruptly stopped as Leeteuk and Heechul disappeared. Sunggyu didn’t miss a second before he tapped his combadge and called, “Henry…tell me you have tons of power at your disposal.”  
  
“Yes…and I am also an Andorian Belly Dancer in my spare time! What did you do to the ship?” came the immediate reply of the engineering prodigy. “I have no power at all!”  
  
“We need to beam as many people off the planet as we can and get the ship away from that sun before it explodes!”  
  
“I wasn’t lying when I said I have no power! I can’t transport a fly at this time or move the ship an inch!”  
  
“Can you eject the warp core?”  
  
“No, nothing! Nothing is working! What happened?”  
  
“Leeteuk did it…we are all going to die along with an entire planet if we don’t think of something fast.”  
  
“It would take a miracle,” Ensign Henry explained, “nothing less than a miracle.”  
  
“Then get to working on one,” Sunggyu replied, ending the link with engineering and motioned with his hands toward the display. “Show me the sun.”  
  
The display at the front of the bridge immediately showed the sun that was on the verge of exploding.  
  
Sooyoung announced in a somber voice, “The dagger was…I don’t know what it was but it has rendered the ship useless–dying. I estimate we have less than 15 minutes of life support left.”  
  
Sunggyu hit his badge and called, “Docking Bay, are the shuttles affected? Can we use them to escape?”  
  
The voice of the man in charge of the docking bay crew immediately replied, “No, Sir…it’s like they are decaying before my eyes. The same with the escape pods.”  
  
Eunhyuk focused on the angry sun that was about to explode and take the planet and all of them with it. “We are so fucked.”  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
Yoochun was out of the carriage before it had come to a complete stop.  
  
Unlike the Duke’s residence, only one man greeted him at the entrance to the stately manor…his valet.  
  
Yoochun spared him a quick glance and then commanded, “Take me to him.”  
  
“Yes, My Lord,” the valet answered as he led Yoochun through the Viscount’s residence…the residence which was strangely empty. He only caught sight of one other servant…a fat maid that avoided direct eye contact with him but cowered as he passed by her.  
  
The valet led him to the library where he moved a bookcase aside and stepped into a secret passageway. Yoochun followed until they came to a door with many locks on it. Yoochun waited as the valet unlocked each one of them.  
  
He followed the other man down a hidden staircase to a cold, dark basement.  
  
The chill and the smell of the room assaulted his senses.  
  
Yoochun froze on the staircase and ordered, “Light!”  
  
The valet quickly complied as he lit the lanterns stationed on the basement walls. “My Lord, I cleaned him for you.”  
  
Light filled the room and Yoochun stood still as his eyes locked on a man hanging from the wall with both his arms bound by ropes. The man was young with a lean body and dirty blond hair. The man’s body had been terribly tortured; parts of his skin had been flayed away.  
  
Something cracked inside of Yoochun’s soul as the tortured man became recognizable to him as Junsu.  
  
“Young Sir,” the valet called out. “The master has arrived.”  
  
The bound man moaned, but did not open his eyes.  
  
Yoochun pried his eyes away from Junsu and looked around the room.  
  
There was a table in the middle of the room that had restraints…he knew that table.  
  
He had been on that table.  
  
Knives of all sizes were also situated on the table.  
  
Wooden and iron devices that could only exist for the purposes of torture were also in the room.  
  
His eyes locked on an iron cage in the corner of the room…a cage with a dead woman inside it.  
  
The valet noticed his master looking at the decaying corpse. “Sir, the stench is getting very foul…can we not part with her yet? Perhaps, we could acquire another?”  
  
Yoochun glanced away from the cage and slowly descended down the stairs…carefully placing each foot in front of him.  
  
He made it to the bottom of the stairs, walked to the table, and picked up a large knife with a shiny blade.  
  
The valet smiled crookedly, showing a gap between his teeth that Yoochun had not noticed before and walked up to Yoochun with his hands clasped behind his back “Sir, should I take my leave?”  
  
Yoochun felt the darkness he had been fighting against his whole life swell up and overtake him as he smiled back at the valet. “Yes, you should take your leave.”  
  
The valet did not see the knife coming; the sharp knife that slit across his throat nearly slicing his head off.  
  
Blood spurted out, spraying the room as the man collapsed to the floor and then it ceased as the valet’s heart stopped pumping.  
  
The darkness gave way to horror and anguish as Yoochun stumbled toward the bound man.  
  
“Junsu,” Yoochun cried out as he used the same knife to cut away the ropes holding the other man up. “Junsu…Junsu, wake up.”  
  
Junsu’s eyes fluttered open as his arms were freed; his knees buckled, and he began to fall.  
  
Yoochun caught him and slowly lowered the both of them to the floor, while angling Junsu so he was facing the wall and not the horrors in the room. “Junsu…Junsu,” Yoochun repeated as he clung to the other man desperately.  
  
“Yoochun…” the younger man whispered.  
  
“Yes,” Yoochun cried out in relief. “Yes, you are going to be…I’m going to get you out of here.”  
  
“I was on the ship.”  
  
“I know,” Yoochun answered. “Eunhyuk used the stones to find us.”  
  
Junsu was sobbing uncontrollably and with stiff and sore arms he hugged Yoochun. “He did.”  
  
“He did…they know we are alive.”  
  
“I didn’t want you to be here.”  
  
“No, I had to be here…so I could find you.”  
  
“You saved me.”  
  
Yoochun’s eyes were locked on the body of the man he had just murdered. “No…Eunhyuk saved you.”  
  
“No, he didn’t…you did…thank you…you saved me. I was so wrong…wrong…”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“About you…I was so wrong about you…I am sorry…I don’t want to wait for another lifetime to be with you.”  
  
Yoochun’s eyes widened and he internally froze.  
  
“Don’t you see…we have this life,” Junsu explained, tightening his hold on the other man. “We can be together, now.”  
  
Words that would have once filled him with great joy terrorized him. Yoochun shoved Junsu away with a force fueled by his overwhelming desire to protect the younger man at all costs.  
  
Yoochun climbed to his feet and stumbled away from Junsu, desperate to get far away from the younger man but he fell back down when unsteady legs refused to hold him up. He crawled away from Junsu, trying his best to ignore the other man’s pleas for him to come back.  
  
Yoochun only stopped his attempt to put distance between them when he was overcome with nausea; on his hands and knees, he vomited all over the floor of the basement.  
  
  
  
**********************  
  
  
  
The light of the dying sun filled Ten Forward.  
  
Sulli stood pressed up against the window, imaging she could feel the heat of the fiery giant as it fought against extinction.  
  
The computer had stopped yelling out its warning of immediate disaster. All the communication systems were down. The once pristine white walls of the ship were starting to crack.  
  
“Sulli,” Woohyun blurted out as he rushed into Ten Forward with Kangin at his side. The lifts were not working and they had climbed up the Jefferies Tubes to reach her. “You shouldn’t be here.”  
  
“I am fine.”  
  
“You need to be in sickbay.”  
  
“Doctor, will sickbay protect me…protect any of us?” Sulli asked as she looked down at the planet Zilax that was now devoid of life.  
  
Woohyun closed his eyes and confessed, “No.” It had only been out of habit and instinct that he had searched out his missing patient.  
  
“If I am going to die…I need to die here,” she told them, not turning around. “This is where he’d want me to be.”  
  
“He?” Woohyun asked, confused.  
  
“Changmin,” Kangin answered as he slowly approached the young woman. “I will never forget the first time I saw them together. Once Changmin knew Sulli was on the ship…it was like nothing else mattered to him.”  
  
At the sound of Kangin’s voice Sulli turned around to face her friend. It felt like centuries ago since she had been stranded with Kangin…before the Warlord Hangeng had come and stolen her away to a world of torment and misery…but Changmin had some how made it better. She remembered the first time she saw Changmin on the ship. “I woke up from a nightmare to find a beautiful angel right before my eyes.”  
  
“He was an emotional mess back then,” Kangin said, stopping before he reached her. “I was babysitting him that day and I thought he was going to drive Jaejoong crazy. You had a very calming affect on him.”  
  
Tears glided down her cheeks as she reached up and traced her lips with her fingertips. “I had forgotten how to smile.”  
  
Kangin grinned. “And he hardly knew how.”  
  
“He saved me…I wasn’t sad or afraid when he was with me.”  
  
“You saved each other,” Kangin gently reminded her.  
  
Woohyun stayed in the background not intruding on their moment. He knew the story of how Sulli had saved Changmin on Belara, but that had all occurred before he had joined the Expectations…before he had met Sunggyu. Sunggyu, who he would have loved to see one last time, but he knew that even if he started climbing now he could not reach the bridge in time. The ship was falling apart around them. The air was cold and he knew the oxygen supply would soon be depleted.  
  
Sulli wrung her hands and told Kangin, “He isn’t here to save me now.”  
  
“No, he isn’t,” came the unwelcome voice of the Leeteuk imposter as he appeared behind Sulli and quickly wrapped his arm around her neck, immobilizing her. “But I would rather not take any chances when it comes to him.”  
  
The Heechul imposter stood quietly at the Leeteuk impostor’s side.  
  
“Let her go!” Kangin yelled and rushed toward the imposters but quickly stopped when Leeteuk showed the dagger in his other hand. Before the communications system had gone down Sunggyu had sent out a warning, explaining everything to the crew.  
  
“You know what this dagger did to the ship…can you imagine what it will do to the flesh of a human?”  
  
The Heechul imposter’s eyes widened in alarm, and he did not hide his disapproval. “You don’t mean to…it is madness! Utter madness!”  
  
“Did you think I meant to take her with us?” Leeteuk asked, showing his amusement at the other being’s wrong assumption.  
  
“Yes!” Heechul imposter yelled back at the other one. “Of course I thought you meant to take her with us!”  
  
“Then you thought wrong! The last strike of the Ferro Interficere is for her! I am going to end this before it ever begins!” the Leeteuk imposter replied as he raised the dagger up. “I’d rather never have existed at all than to continue to exist like this!”  
  
Woohyun and Kangin watched helplessly as the imposter brought the dagger down toward the girl…but it never reached her. At the last moment Heechul pushed Sulli away and took the blade in her place.  
  
The Leeteuk impostor had tried to stop when he realized what was happening, but it had all happened too quickly and he had not had the time to pull back completely…and even the smallest cut from the dagger guaranteed death.  
  
They all watched in stunned silence as the being that had been Heechul collapsed to the deck with the dagger shallowly imbedded in his chest.  
  
Kangin was the first to act. He grabbed the Leeteuk imposter, threw him against the window and vowed, “You make one move, and I swear my last living act will be to end you.”  
  
Sulli screamed and fell to her knees beside the doctor that had always been kind to her, whether in his madness, sanity, or possession. “Heechul,” she begged taking his hand. “Heechul…no…no.”  
  
Woohyun rushed to Heechul’s other side.  
  
Kangin kept his eyes on the being possessing Commander Leeteuk, but he spoke to his old friend. “Doc…was that you? I know that was you…you beat that fucker, didn’t you? If anyone could, it would be you.”  
  
Sulli looked imploringly at Woohyun as she felt the ice cold hand in hers. “Is…is he…he’s so cold…is he dead?”  
  
Woohyun, who had his hand pressed against Heechul’s neck, nodded his head. “He’s gone.”  
  
“Doc…no,” Kangin whispered in disbelief.  
  
“The dagger…it’s not like anything I have ever seen,” Woohyun helplessly tried to explain. “Heechul’s body is…it’s like he’s been dead for hours.”  
  
Kangin yelled at the imposter, “He might be dead…but he beat you and your evil crony. You lost!”  
  
“No, I didn’t you idiot! You all are dead,” Leeteuk answered, his gaze transfixed on Heechul. “The only question left is if the sun or the ship will be the means of your doom.”  
  
“Well, you are coming with us,” Kangin told the imposter. “Asshole!”  
  
Leeteuk’s eyes were still on Heechul as he smiled. “I truly hope so…of course I highly doubt it, but one can hope.”  
  
“You are suicidal?” Woohyun asked, looking up to stare at the imposter. “You want to die?”  
  
“Oh, yes,” Leeteuk answered. “For over a millennium, now.”  
  
Sulli, whose eyes had not left Heechul, gasped as the dagger started glowing blue. “What is happening?”  
  
They all watched as the blue glow of the dagger spread out coating Heechul’s body in the same blue glow.  
  
The Leeteuk imposter slowly climbed to his feet. “It worked for him…it worked…but…but…”  
  
“What worked?” Kangin demanded, walking protectively closer to Heechul’s body. “What is happening to his body?”  
  
“How is…the Earthling…the healer was able to accomplish…it’s finally over for him,” a stunned Leeteuk explained before vanishing.  
  
“What the fuck?” Kangin exclaimed after the imposter disappeared.  
  
Woohyun looked at the space where the Leeteuk imposter had been, “All of this needless…needless death just because they wanted to die. They did all of this so they could die…”  
  
“But why?” Kangin asked, dropping to his knees beside Sulli. He did not bother to wipe away the tears that ran down his cheeks.  
  
“I can’t be sure, but when the imposter inside of Ji-Hoon was trying to blow up the ship…he talked of being free of his suffering and of a great nothingness…I think they thought dying would end their torment,” Woohyun explained.  
  
“Forgive me if…if I can’t be happy for them.”  
  
“Of course, not…I just think living must have been hell for them, but it is still no excuse for what they did,” Woohyun responded as he started feeling the effects of the lack of oxygen in the air.  
  
Sulli shivered and ran a hand through Heechul’s hair, unbothered by the blue glow. “I hope this one found peace…he was so much like Heechul…I really do think Heechul was still there…my sweet fairy godmother.”  
  
Kangin managed a small smile. “He did dote on you, kid…and I really…I really do think he won in the end.”  
  
Woohyun rubbed his arms as the cold started penetrating through his uniform. “I never knew him before…before the incident that took his sanity, but even in madness he was remarkably sane.”  
  
Kangin wiped away the tears from his face. “When he…before we got stranded here he was the best Earth had to offer…and that is saying a lot.”  
  
“Yes, Earth is full of amazing humans,” Woohyun agreed.  
  
“Yeah…and I have been blessed…I have known a lot of great men…Yunho; I hope he knows how hard we tried…how hard we tried,” Kangin added with a trembling jaw.  
  
Tears glided down Sulli’s face as she reached out, took Kangin’s hand and squeezed it. “He knows…he knows.”  
  
A loud roar filled the ship, sounding as if it was being torn in half.  
  
Kangin squeezed Sulli’s hand back. “I think this life is about to come to an end…I think I will embrace the belief that our soul goes on...in a different reality…and I will see my friends again.”  
  
Woohyun closed his eyes and felt the bitter sting of regret. “Me too…and in that life, may love conquer all.”  
  
Sulli gazed at Woohyun sadly and then looked back down at Heechul; her eyes widened and she gasped, “The blue glow…I just noticed…it’s the color of Changmin’s Joong eyes.”


	4. The Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the old updates(this was written in 2014), after the next adventure everything will be new.

Yunho felt like time was running out.  
  
The look in Yoochun’s eyes had shaken Yunho to the core and had left him very frightened for his friend. Jaejoong’s urgent warnings to go after Yoochun had only cemented that fear.  
  
It felt like it had been a life time ago when Yunho had first met Yoochun at the Star Fleet Entrance Exam Center. They had both passed the test with flying colors, but their shared brilliance was where the similarities between the two boys had ended. Yoochun was as closed as Yunho was open, hated as easily as Yunho loved and was as pessimistic as Yunho was hopeful.  
  
Yoochun had warned Yunho in the beginning that he did not have nor did he want friends; Yunho had laughed in defiance and proved him wrong. As their friendship started to grow Yoochun had shared all with his new friend and when his dark past had not caused Yunho to flinch or pull away in the slightest, the future captain had earned a place in Yoochun’s heart that no other person had ever managed to achieve.  
  
And now Yunho raced through the busy streets on a great black steed, desperate to save that friend who had come to mean so much to him. Ryeowook rode beside him on a beautiful palomino mare. They dodged the crowds while following behind one of the Duke’s groomsmen that Jaejoong had telepathically manipulated into leading them to the Viscount’s residence.  
  
Yunho and Ryeowook both had taken off in search of the engineer leaving Jaejoong and Kyuhyun behind; Jaejoong limited by his need for proximity with Changmin and Kyuhyun limited by his new form.  
  
Yunho wished the ride had been under better circumstances; as a boy he had always taken every opportunity to go horseback riding, and as a member of Star Fleet he had enjoyed riding horses on the holodecks, but nothing was like the real thing.  
  
He envied Ryeowook, who had grown up with horses and rode with complete ease.  
  
Once they reached the Viscount’s estate they quickly dismounted and rushed toward the front entrance. Yunho banged loudly on the door but no one greeted them. Without hesitation Yunho kicked the wooden door in and barged inside with Ryeowook close behind him.  
  
“Shouldn’t a house this size have…servants?” Yunho asked as he quickly started searching the rooms for Yoochun.  
  
“It should,” Ryeowook answered as his eyes scanned the inside of the mansion that was so much different from the Duke’s. It was dark and dusty whereas the Duke’s house had been spotless and filled with colors.  
  
“Let’s split up,” Yunho ordered and pointed up towards the second floor. “We will cover more area that way. If you see any sign of him or anything suspicious yell for me.”  
  
“I will,” Ryeowook agreed and quickly took off.  
  
Yunho continued searching the house to only find it empty, until he opened a door and walked into a room filled with books. In the back of the room was a desk and sitting at that desk, much to Yunho’s surprise, was Heechul.  
  
The captain gaped at the man in astonishment.  
  
Yunho quickly rationalized the man in this reality had to be identical to the Heechul in his own.  
  
“Have you seen the Viscount?” Yunho asked, attempting to cover his initial surprise at seeing someone so similar to his friend.  
  
The man resembling Heechul smiled up at him. “Not recently.”  
  
“Do you know where he is?”  
  
“Yes, I know a great multitude of things, including the location of… _the viscount_.”  
  
Yunho walked closer to the desk…something did not seem right. “Where is he?”  
  
“I will not tell you.”  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“It is not your place to be with him.”  
  
“Tell me where he,” Yunho demanded, not hiding his sense of urgency.  
  
“No.”  
  
“I must find him…tell me where he is.”  
  
“No, I have a gift for you instead.”  
  
Yunho frowned and monetarily wondered why this man would have a gift for him, but quickly reminded himself he was the duke in this reality. “The only gift I want from you is his location.”  
  
The man leaned back in the chair, chuckled, and folded his arms across his chest. “But you don’t even know what the gift is.”  
  
Yunho remained firm in his determination to find his friend. “I want to know where he is. It is imperative that I find him.”  
  
The man resembling Heechul just shook his head. “You should say thank you…it is a great gift I bestow on you.”  
  
“I will thank you…when you tell me where the Viscount is.”  
  
“You are acting unusually rude, but I will be gracious and not take back the gift.”  
  
Yunho stared at the very familiar man and his mind raced with possibilities…had the imposter made it to this reality? “It is  _very_  important that I find him.”  
  
“You are already too late to spare him,” the man told him as he looked down at some papers on the desk. “Also, he wouldn’t want you to see him in his current state.”  
  
Yunho froze; his feeling of unease growing. “What do you mean by that?”  
  
The man looked up at him and there was a familiar sparkle in his eyes. “I warned you to keep a tighter rein on him, but have no fear, that particular friend is not lost to you today.”  
  
“Heechul…”  
  
“But you always let him get away with too much,” the man told him as he stood and stretched out his arms. “It is not entirely your fault…in every life you always see the best in people, and sometimes he is worthy of your faith in him…but sometimes he just breaks your heart.”  
  
“How did you get here?” Yunho gasped as the brilliant doctor walked around the desk towards him.  
  
Heechul stopped in front of Yunho, reached out, and adjusted the lapel on Yunho’s jacket. “I have limitless potential, now.”  
  
“You always did.”  
  
Heechul grinned and winked. “More so now.”  
  
“What does that mean?” Yunho questioned as he reached out and took both of Heechul’s hands in his own. “How can you be here?”  
  
Heechul squeezed Yunho’s hands and then slowly backed away, pulling free of the captain’s touch. “I am no longer bound by the limitations of my physical body or my once damaged mind.”  
  
“No…longer…”  
  
“No; as I said, I have limitless potential now…my fabulousness has no boundaries.”  
  
Yunho froze and struggled to find the words to ask what he feared. Heechul had said Yoochun was not lost to him, but he feared another friend was.  
  
Heechul stopped before exiting the room, glanced back at Yunho and smirked. “I’ll be seeing you, Captain.”  
  
“Are you—” Yunho tried to ask the dreaded question, but Heechul held up a hand hushing him and then vanished.  
  
And before Yunho had time to react he found himself in the most unlikely of places.  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
Kyuhyun was pacing the room, hating the fact he was stuck in a young girl’s body, while wishing desperately he could have gone with the captain and his husband.  
  
He was about to ask Jaejoong for the umpteenth time if he had any new information when he suddenly found himself back in his own body and on a starship, but not just any starship; the grandest of all starships.  
  
“What…happened?” a startled Ryeowook, who had been transported along with Kyuhyun, questioned from beside him.  
  
Almost immediately a force field went up around them and the familiar sounding voice of the ship’s computer announced, “Intruder Alert, Deck 33! Intruder Alert! Deck 33, Intruder Alert!”  
  
“It’s the Enterprise…” Kyuhyun whispered as he took in his surroundings.  
  
Ryeowook grabbed Kyuhyun by the wrist, completely taken aback by the other man’s declaration. “How can you be sure…sure…it is the flagship?”  
  
“I was born on this ship and spent most of my childhood on it…I know my mother’s ship.”  
  
“The Guardian…it brought us to your mom. After everything that has—” Ryeowook stopped abruptly as three security guards appeared with their phasers drawn.  
  
Kyuhyun didn’t blink as he urgently commanded, “I am Lieutenant Commander Cho of the U.S.S Expectations and I need to speak with Admiral Cho, urgently.”  
  
The ensign standing in the middle questioned, “The admiral’s deceased son?”  
  
“I am not dead. I am not sure how long I will be here. The Expectations was not destroyed. The anomaly transported the ship to an unknown region of space. We can not even be sure if we are in the same dimension.”  
  
An alarmed Ryeowook let go of Kyuhyun and asked, “Do you think the Guardian will transport us back?”  
  
“I don’t know…I can’t believe it brought us here to begin with,” Kyuhyun explained. “The Guardian is totally unpredictable.”  
  
“Did Jaejoong not say anything before we were transported here? Was he in contact with it?”  
  
“No, Jaejoong didn’t say anything…this was completely unexpected.”  
  
The doctor looked out at the security guards who had their phasers aimed at them, following regulations perfectly. “I hope it your mom’s ship and I hope it doesn’t send us back.”  
  
“The Guardian will do whatever it wants and there isn’t—Mother!” Kyuhyun called out his tone going higher as his mother came into view. The admiral was flanked by her longtime officers; the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brown, on her right and her Vulcan second in command, Commander T’Vol, was on her left.  
  
Admiral Cho’s face was a perfectly controlled mask  
  
“Ensign Hoya, report,” she ordered, while not taking her eyes off Kyuhyun.  
  
“Admiral, he insists he is your son and that the space anomaly believed to have destroyed the U.S.S Expectations actually transported it to an undetermined place in space.”  
  
Her attention switched to Ryeowook and she asked, “Dr. Cho, is that correct? Did the anomaly transport you while you were on board the Expectations?”  
  
“No,” Kyuhyun answered for his husband, realizing quickly what his mother was really asking. “Ryeowook was on the shuttle…he was separated from the ship. It took us a year to find the shuttle…I thought he was dead.”  
  
“And what of Captain Seung?” she asked, her attention back on her son, her mask still intact.  
  
“Dead,” Kyuhyun answered. “Hundreds dead…the Expectations is manned by a skeleton crew.”  
  
Commander T’Vol prompted, “Explain.”  
  
“The anomaly killed every nonhuman on the ship, and it also killed every male on the ship that was nearing thirty years of age or older…the only females to survive were Lieutenant Sooyoung and the ambassadors’ daughter, Sulli Choi; they were on the shuttle with me,” Ryeowook explained.  
  
“Who is in command?” Admiral Cho asked, stepping closer to the force field.  
  
“Commander Yunho,” Kyuhyun explained, his eyes locked with his mother’s. “I know in this instance you have to be suspicious, and I know all the protocols you must follow, but Mother I swear I am your son and the Expectations is not lost.”  
  
“If you are indeed Kyuhyun Cho then you know your mother must not allow herself to be swayed by emotion,” Commander T’Vol cautioned from behind the admiral.  
  
Dr. Brown scowled at the Vulcan. “Can you pretend to have a heart for a moment?”  
  
“Doctor, I assure you I have a completely functional heart. My heart is a circulatory—”  
  
“Stop,” the admiral commanded as she stood next to the force field, her eyes still fixed on her son. “You spoke of a Guardian…tell me more about it. Describe it.”  
  
“Mom, I swear—”  
  
“Kyuhyun, just answer my question!”  
  
“It is an ancient stone portal. It has a liquid blue center. It is able to transport people back in time,” Kyuhyun replied.  
  
Ryeowook grabbed Kyuhyun’s hand and elaborated, “Not just the past…it can transport anyone to any time and place…to different realities. It is called the Guardian of Time…although I believe it has many other names.”  
  
“Lower the force field,” the admiral ordered.  
  
“Admiral, I must object—”  
  
“T’Vol, shut up,” Dr. Brown snapped as he watched the force field lower on the Admiral’s command. He watched with great happiness as his oldest friend embraced both of her beloved boys.  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
  
Junsu watched, racked with both pain and confusion, as Yoochun vomited all over the floor. He didn’t understand how Yoochun could save him one minute and flee from him the next. He just wanted the commander to come back to him, to hold him.  
  
“Yoochun...Yoochun,” Junsu pleaded, not understanding anything and before any answer could come he found himself in a very different kind of room.  
  
The current room had a wood floor and the walls were made of glass.  
  
Sunlight filled the room with a bright and encompassing light.  
  
The pain was gone but the confusion remained.  
  
Yoochun was across the room from him on all fours and his bearing was unchanged, as if he was unaware of their new location. “Yoochun…we are safe,” Junsu called out. He didn’t know where they were but he felt as if they had been rescued…that they were in a safe place…a place full of warmth, love, and understanding…he could feel it.  
  
The only response the engineer gave him was a bitter, painful laugh.  
  
“Open your eyes and you will see,” Junsu begged. “Open your eyes. We are not there anymore…” Junsu paused as an elderly human woman walked into the room with a young child…a Bolian child at her side. Junsu stared at the child at a loss. Bolians were members of the Federation.  
  
“Yes, and we are in Federation Space,” the woman said, answering his unasked question as she looked curiously down at him.  
  
Junsu gaped up at her and was shocked to see her irises were completely black. “You are a Betazoid!”  
  
Her eyes darted away from Junsu to gaze down at Yoochun, who had sat up to stare at her in astonishment. “Yes, I am a Betazoid and we are on Betazed.”  
  
A stunned Junsu stammered, “We…we are in the…the Alpha Quadrant?”  
  
“Yes, young man,” she answered. “You have a remarkably loud mind. Betazoid children would love to train with you.”  
  
“Old Crow,” Yoochun muttered, not believing his eyes.  
  
Junsu watched as the old woman walked toward the devastated looking engineer. She gently reached down, rested a wrinkled hand against Yoochun’s cheek and told her old student, “You are wrong.”  
  
Yoochun did not move away from her. “No, I am not…I am not.”  
  
“You are,” she insisted with unwavering certainty.  
  
“I am evil…and I never had a choice.”  
  
“No,” she protested firmly, carefully bending her aged body down. She placed her other hand against his face forcing him to look her in the eye. “There is no such thing as evil, there is only absence of genuine feeling and absence of empathy…you are not lacking of either of these qualities…you are full of feeling…full of empathy…full of love.”  
  
Yoochun shook his head frantically, eager to free himself from her touch. “No…no!”  
  
“You were never evil, child.”  
  
Junsu opened his mouth to agree with the woman…he felt it was essential that he agree with her in that moment, but he never had the chance.  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
One reality gave way to another.  
  
It was twilight and the night was just beginning.  
  
Yunho immediately felt the presence of his bondmate beside him.  
  
He turned to look upon his great love and noticed Jaejoong’s attention was fixated on the sky.  
  
Yunho followed his gaze and he could not believe his eyes as he took in the sight. Only a few stars appeared in the sky, but what familiar stars they were! Stars he had learned about at his father’s knee as a young child.  
  
Before he could find his voice a beloved howl broke through the silence.  
  
“Lady!” Yunho gasped as the old, yellow Labrador appeared in front of him. He ran to her, quickly realizing he was in his mother’s garden. “Lady!”  
  
The old dog barked joyfully at being reunited with her most favorite of all humans.  
  
“Old girl,” Yunho cried out as he lavished the dog with love and affection.  
  
 _“Yunho…look up.”_  
  
His heart stilled as he followed his mate’s silent command and looked up to find his stunned mother staring at him. Time seemed to slow as he watched the basket of fresh tomatoes she was carrying drop to the ground. Her whole body shook as she realized her long lost son had finally returned to her.  
  
“Mom…momma.”  
  
“Yun…Yunho…Yunho…Yunho!”  
  
“It’s me…it really is,” Yunho promised as he engulfed her trembling body in a strong embrace. “It really is.”  
  
“Yunho,” she cried out in happiness, clinging to her son.  
  
“Momma.”  
  
“They said…they said you were dead…they said you were dead…Yunho…my sweet, brave boy,” she cried. “They said you were dead!”  
  
“Momma, I am fine.”  
  
“I am so happy…I missed you…I love you, so much. I missed you!”  
  
“I love you, momma. I missed you, too.”  
  
“Changmin…is he okay?” She questioned urgently, remembering her other lost boy. “Tell me he is okay. Tell me Changmin is safe.”  
  
“He is fine,” Yunho vowed. “He’s just…” he pulled away from her and cupped her face with the palms of hands and explained, “He’s a baby now.”  
  
Her face lit up in joy. “You found his mother.”  
  
Yunho let out a laugh and looked at his mate expecting to find a look of indignation, but instead found a tearful Jaejoong watching the both of them. “You could say that.”  
  
She turned to look at Jaejoong and her gaze settled on the baby in his arms. “Is that…is that my Changmin?”  
  
“That is him,” Yunho answered as he reached down and clasped his mother’s hand and led her toward his mate and his child.  _“Jaejoong, are you okay?”  
  
“No, I am not. I am being assaulted with…with too much emotion…your mother…and even the blasted dog is getting to me.”_  
  
“Oh, look at him…of course he is Changmin,” she told them with the widest smile spread across her face as looked upon the infant. “I never knew him when he was this little…but I know it’s him. Even though…he is very different…but those eyes…I’d know them in any color. Can I hold him?”  
  
“No, Momma…this will sound crazy, but he’s empathic and our emotions can upset him. I am not even allowed to hold him yet…and he was just born earlier today.”  
  
“Oh, he’s empathic,” Yunho mother responded as she smiled at Jaejoong and reached out to gently wipe away the Joong’s tears. “Did he get that ability from you?”  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
The air was running out.  
  
One of the warp nacelles had broken off from the ship, taking countless lives with it.  
  
Cracks lined the walls of the ship as its integrity slowly gave way.  
  
Half of the bridge crew was unconscious and the other half fought for every breath as the cold, oxygen depleted air assaulted them.  
  
Sunggyu wished he could have seen Woohyun one last time, but he quickly pushed all regrets from his mind. In life he had not dwelled on regrets and he refused to do so in death.  
  
“I estimate we have less than 90 seconds,” Sooyoung said from beside him in the first officer’s chair, sounding professional until the very end.  
  
“Shortest captaincy ever,” Sunggyu told her, managing to sound relaxed.  
  
“It does make for a strong…strong argument against mutiny.”  
  
Sunggyu laughed with the last of his strength and he thought it was better to die laughing than dwelling on what could have been. His vision blurred and he felt faint, but before he lost consciousness a blue glow started filling the room. The blue glow filled all the ship and seeped out into space around the ship and spread out toward the planet and the dying sun.  
  
Sunggyu thought he must be hallucinating, but as the blue glow grew brighter he felt stronger.  
  
He inhaled the air that was now filled with life sustaining oxygen. “What’s happening?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Sooyoung answered, staring perplexedly at the blue glow.  
  
Sunggyu got up from the captain’s chair and walked toward the display, his eyes fixed on the sun that has been on the verge of exploding seconds ago. “It’s even out in space…it is everywhere.”  
  
“It seems to have…healing properties.”  
  
“It does…I feel fine.”  
  
“As do I,” Lieutenant Sooyoung concurred as the rest of the bridge crew started waking up.  
  
“It seems to be dissipating,” Sunggyu pointed out as the glow disappeared leaving a perfectly intact ship behind in its place. “The sun appears stable now.”  
  
“So is the ship…it seems.”  
  
“Check the warp nacelle and see if it’s still attached!” Sunggyu ordered as he tried to understand what was going on. He hit his combadge. “Henry! What’s going on?”  
  
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Henry’s voice replied. “I thought I was a goner…I saw the light but then I thought it was odd that it was blue. Next thing I know I am fine. Did you happen to make a deal with God?”  
  
“Not that I know of…but if I had known it was an option I would have been open to negotiations.”  
  
“Lieutenant,” Lieutenant Sooyoung called from her science station. “The ship is fully intact…and also, the planet is undamaged and full of life.”  
  
An astonished Sunggyu gaped at her in disbelief. “How is that possible? Billions were dead on that planet…it was devoid of life! Was it an illusion?”  
  
“I don’t know,” she replied just as surprised. “It’s like it never happened.”  
  
Sunggyu tapped his combadge. “Woohyun…Doctor Nam, is there any report of causalities or injuries?”  
  
There was pause before Woohyun replied, “Just one…death that I am aware of.”  
  
Sunggyu inhaled a deep breath and asked, “Who?”  
  
“Heechul…” Yunho, who had suddenly appeared on the bridge along with Jaejoong, Yoochun, Junsu, Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and baby Changmin, answered solemnly.  
  
“Junsu!” Eunhyuk immediately exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and rushing to his best friend, engulfing him in a tight hug. “You are back!”  
  
 _“Why do you believe Heechul to be dead?”_ a very surprised Jaejoong asked telepathically.  
  
 _“Because he is.”_  
  
“That…he’s right…Heechul is dead,” Woohyun explained after a pause. “The imposter…had a dagger…and he was going to stab Sulli with it, but at the last second Heechul pulled her away and was stabbed instead…Kangin said it was him…the real Dr. Kim, in that moment.”  
  
An anguished Ryeowook stepped forward and demanded, “How did a stab wound kill him? Surely you put him in stasis!”  
  
“I couldn’t!” Woohyun replied, sounding just as anguished over the communication’s link. “I couldn’t do anything at the time…the ship was falling apart around us and it was no ordinary dagger.”  
  
Ryeowook refused to believe that Kim Heechul had been done in by a stab wound. “I have to see his body. I have—”  
  
“Stop!” Yunho ordered, interrupting Dr. Cho. “He’s dead…I know he is.”  
  
“How do you know?” Kyuhyun asked the captain, dismayed by his certainty.  
  
“The Guardian…allowed me to say goodbye to him,” Yunho answered and then focused on Sunggyu. “Back to the part about the ship falling apart…it appears fine.”  
  
Sunggyu shared a quick look glance Lieutenant Sooyoung before he responded, “Timing is everything, Sir.”  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
  
 _24hrs later_  
  
  
  
“Hold up!”  
  
Sunggyu, who had been about to exit his quarters, turned around to find Woohyun standing behind him. “Commander Yoochun has a list of things he wants me to do. And when I say list I mean he actually wrote it out on paper. Nobody does that…not this century or for the last two centuries for that matter.”  
  
“You deserve a night off.”  
  
“He doesn’t think so.”  
  
“He should be grateful for all you did for him.”  
  
“Not when efficiency was down to 88%.”  
  
“I thought the blue glow…made everything perfect.”  
  
“It did…we are at 100% efficiency now, but at one time while he was gone it dropped to 88%.”  
  
“You were kinda busy.”  
  
“I know this, but he does not like excuses…or even to listen to them. That impostors had control of the ship…that one incredibly inept one was in control of engineering for most of the entirety he was gone doesn’t matter to him.”  
  
“How can it not?”  
  
“Have you…ever met him?”  
  
“You know I have.”  
  
“Well, he is the definition of demanding on a good day…and this is not a good day.”  
  
Woohyun walked up closer to Sunggyu and reached out and touched the rank pips on the collar of Sunggyu’s uniform. “Least you get to stay a lieutenant.”  
  
Sunggyu shrugged. “That is a bright spot in all of this.”  
  
The doctor let his hand slide down Sunggyu’s body till he reached the other man’s hand. He clasped it tightly. “We need to talk.”  
  
“No, we don’t.”  
  
“Yes, we do.”  
  
“There is nothing _I_  need to talk to  _you_  about,” Sunggyu said with careful emphasis. “I am perfectly content with the current state of things.”  
  
Woohyun shook his head in frustration. “I am going to end up sexually assaulting you…if you keep this up!”  
  
Sunggyu pushed Woohyun away. “You are insane!”  
  
“I am insane! You are driving me insane!”  
  
“Stop joking!”  
  
“I am going insane…insane with love for you! I am in love with you and we need to do something about that. I have been extremely patient with you,” the very exasperated doctor declared. “But you are pushing me past my limits!”  
  
“I know…you have been patient,” Sunggyu admitted reluctantly. “You have been great.”  
  
“Great?” Woohyun snapped. “I have been more than great. I am fucking fantastic! I have been the most perfect friend and glorified sidekick anyone could ever ask for. I’ve betrayed my home world for you, taken on a Joong, climbed frozen mountains, been almost killed by blood sucking spiders, lied to the entire ship, planned a mutiny with you, and let’s not forget I saved your ass, not to mention the ship’s, when I wouldn’t allow Henry to give up during the breach.”  
  
Sunggyu opened his mouth and then closed it knowing nothing he said would make the doctor happy, because everything the doctor had just said was true. Woohyun was amazing and he knew he owed him an enormous debt.  
  
“And I did all of this while remaining celibate the entire time! I don’t believe in celibacy! I think sex makes people happy! I think people should have it all the time. As a doctor, I encourage people to have sex as much as they can! I also self prescribe!”  
  
Sunggyu squinted his eyes at the other man and asked in an over dramatized voice, “ _Sooo_ …I should have sex with you because I am grateful for everything you have done?”  
  
“Yes!” Woohyun declared and pointed toward the bedroom. “Strip and go get on the bed, now!”  
  
“You are insane!”  
  
“We have already established that!”  
  
“Woohyun, listen to me,” Sunggyu ordered as he rubbed his forehead. “I think you are  _gr—fucking fantastic!_  If I was going to be with anyone on this ship it would be you. You are the only one I want to be with, but I am _not_ going to be with anyone on this ship. I think I might have given you the wrong impression.”  
  
“Oh…no…not  _you, you’re_ not confusing at all…even though I am the only one _you_  would be with on this ship! The only one  _you_  want to be with!”  
  
A flustered Sunggyu snapped, “Sarcasm noted!”  
  
Woohyun couldn’t help but smile at the flustered man. “So tell me how  _you_  gave me the wrong idea.”  
  
“When I told you about how I decided to join Star Fleet…I might have made it sound romantic…but I am not romantic or whimsical.”  
  
Woohyun folded his arms across his chest and tried his best to keep from laughing at the other man. “I assure you, I would never describe you as whimsical.”  
  
“Good, because I am driven…some things might come easier to me than they do to most people, but I am still very driven. I am a newly made lieutenant…I have added duties now. I can not allow myself to become distracted and getting entangled in a romantic relationship with you would be very distracting.”  
  
“I assure you, it would be a good distraction.”  
  
Sunggyu glared and continued, “The captain does not only want me assisting Commander Yoochun in Engineering…he also wants me to assist Ensign Kangin in running security…Ensign Kangin who has no experience running a department. With Lieutenant Sungmin still in the brig that department is going to be a mess. I am going to have my hands quite full.”  
  
“So no romance…”  
  
“No,” Sunggyu replied, showing his relief. “I am glad you understand.”  
  
Woohyun looked extremely sour. “I don’t understand.”  
  
“I know you do.”  
  
“No, I don’t.”  
  
“I have to focus on my career.”  
  
“Do you want to know what I think?”  
  
“No…no, probably not.”  
  
“I think you are asexual.”  
  
“I’m not.”  
  
“You are…those kisses before…like you said, they were an act. You are the perfect definition of asexual, and believe me, I have read the manuals. You like the thought of us being together, but when it is time to get naked you are all  _eww_  and  _gross_!”  
  
A blank faced Sunggyu denied, “I do not act like that.”  
  
“I thought you were going to throw up on me the last time I kissed you.”  
  
“You assaulted me while I was sleeping!”  
  
“It makes perfect sense now.”  
  
“I am not asexual.”  
  
“I don’t know why you are denying it. It isn’t even considered an ailment among your people.”  
  
“I am not asexual!”  
  
“Just my fucking luck,” Woohyun complained as he turned and headed toward the bedroom.  
  
Sunggyu grabbed Woohyun by the arm and jerked him back around until they were facing each other. “I know what you are doing and it isn’t going to work.”  
  
“I am not doing anything but preaching the truth!”  
  
The lieutenant leaned his head in until his mouth was brushing against Woohyun’s ear and he whispered, “You are trying to goad me into proving that I am not asexual.”  
  
Woohyun mentally cursed the blush he could feel creeping across his cheeks. “No…no…”  
  
“So you  _don’t_  want me to drag you into the bedroom and have my way with you?”  
  
“Well…I wouldn’t…object.”  
  
Sunggyu smirked, let go of Woohyun and headed toward the door. “Nice try, but I am not that easily manipulated.”  
  
Woohyun fumed as the other man exited the room.  
  
Woohyun waited for a few moments before he stormed out of their quarters and toward sickbay. He told himself that if Sunggyu was going to focus on his career then he would do the same. He would go check on Shindong; the man had awakened and was in perfect health but they still had been unable to determine what the imposter had infected him with. Woohyun told himself he would focus on work and stay patient a little longer. He knew Sunggyu couldn’t hold out forever. He knew the other man wanted him.  
  
“Hey, Doctor.”  
  
Woohyun, who had been lost in his own thoughts stopped and noticed the ship’s resident hypochondriac looking at him. “Ensign Sungyeol, I assure you…you are not sick.”  
  
“Did I say I was sick?”  
  
“I am sure it is coming, but let me assure you…nothing is wrong with you. You are not sick.”  
  
“Really, you can confidently say that without an examination?”  
  
Woohyun pointed at his eyes. “My eyes are examining you now and you are perfectly fine.”  
  
Sungyeol cockily ran a hand through the front of his hair. “So you find me attractive?”  
  
Woohyun sputtered, “What?”  
  
“You just said I was fine,” Sungyeol pointed out and winked at the doctor.  
  
“That isn’t what I meant.”  
  
“I am good looking though.”  
  
“Yeah…I suppose so.”  
  
“Good, I agree with your assessment; let’s go on a date.”  
  
“A date…” an incredulous Woohyun repeated in disbelief. He couldn’t imagine anyone he would want to date less on the ship.  
  
“Did people not date on your hick planet? Did they just arrange marriages at birth?”  
  
Woohyun glowered. “I dated…just not my patients!”  
  
“You are one of two doctors on this ship, so we are all your potential patients.”  
  
“Yeah…true, but not everyone is as frequently a patient as you,” Woohyun pointed out to the other man, while noticing for the first time Sungyeol was not in uniform. He was in shorts and a tank top. “Why are you dressed like that?”  
  
“Captain Yunho has not ordered the holodecks to be shut down yet, so a group of us decided we would get together and watch a soccer game while they were still open. Since you won’t “date” your patients, you could join us.”  
  
“How big a group?”  
  
“About ten of us.”  
  
Woohyun pondered the offer for only a few seconds before agreeing, “Sure, why not.”  
  
Sungyeol smiled smugly. “Knew you couldn’t resist me.”  
  
Woohyun groaned as they headed for the holodeck. “Let me assure I am in no way interested in you.”  
  
“You say that now.”  
  
“If I was any less interested in you…you wouldn’t exist.”  
  
  
  
**********************  
  
  
  
  
“Please, do not go in there!” a very nervous looking ensign pleaded, following after a defiant Ensign Junsu as he stormed though engineering and towards Commander Yoochun’s office.  
  
“I have to talk to him.”  
  
“He has ordered that he is not to be disturbed.”  
  
“I don’t care,” Ensign Junsu told the other man.  
  
The younger ensign looked at Junsu like he was crazy. He couldn’t imagine anyone willingly antagonizing Commander Yoochun.  
  
The look on the other man’s face had Junsu promising, “It will be okay.”  
  
“I am going to go hide,” the younger ensign replied and took off in a hurry.  
  
Junsu watched as the other man high-tailed it away from him. Doubt started setting in, but he quickly pushed it aside and entered the office.  
  
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Commander Yoochun, who was sitting behind his desk, demanded while not looking even remotely pleased to see Junsu.  
  
“We need to talk.”  
  
“Are you the captain or are you even Lieutenant Sunggyu?”  
  
“You know I am not.”  
  
“Well, those are the only two people allowed in this office. Not even Commander Cho is allowed in here.”  
  
“He’s second in command of the ship.”  
  
“I don’t give a shit if he is a fucking admiral like his damned parents. He couldn’t keep his dick in his pants, and I almost died because of it. He’s only second in command by default anyway…what has he ever done for this ship…except get kidnapped?”  
  
“You are in quite the mood…but we still need to talk,” Junsu stated, trying his best to maintain his nerve.  
  
Yoochun looked away from Junsu to focus on his work. “We have nothing to talk about.”  
  
“How can you say that…after what happened?” Junsu asked at a loss. “You saved my life.”  
  
“Big deal.”  
  
“It is a big deal!”  
  
“To you.”  
  
“Yoochun, why are you acting like this?”  
  
Yoochun looked up from his work, his gaze dark. “That is Commander Yoochun to you, Ensign Junsu.”  
  
“Why are being like this…who was that old woman to you on Betazoid? Why did you say you were evil? I don’t understand what happened.”  
  
“Has your little flea brain already forgotten what was said at the briefing? She was an old psychiatrist of mine.”  
  
Junsu flinched. “But I don’t understand…why you were so insistent about being evil…you were so upset.”  
  
“You are an idiot,” Yoochun declared, leaning back in his chair. “The person my soul inhabited was the murderer in the reality we visited. The realities blurred for me…it’s not like I am asking you to understand the transwarp theory…this is simple. Changmin in his current state could probably understand this.”  
  
Junsu fought against the urge to flee and forced himself to ask the most important question. “What about us?”  
  
“There is no us.”  
  
“No…there is…I know there is. We can be together now. I want to be with you,” Junsu admitted sincerely, with all his heart. “I want us to be together.”  
  
The look Yoochun gave him was full of scorn. “You fool, don’t you understand I only wanted you…when I couldn’t have you; when you were a challenge. Now that you are so pathetic and needy I am no longer interested in you.”  
  
Junsu just stared at him, speechless.  
  
“I had actually lost interest in you long before our little trip to Dinosaur Land but I had limited options there…it was either you or the flying monkeys…and I wasn’t sure I could catch one of them. You were the easier option, although I am sure I would have had more stimulating conversations with the monkeys.”  
  
Something inside Junsu changed…hardened. “Go to hell.”  
  
Yoochun watched as, enraged, Junsu turned and stomped out of his office.  
  
Once the door whooshed shut, leaving him alone in his office, his mask of derision fell away. “Goodbye Junsu.”  
  
  
*****************  
  
  
Jaejoong was resting lazily on the bed when he felt Yunho enter their quarters.  
  
Yunho stopped at the doorway to the bedroom, leaned against it, and watched his mate and their baby, who was resting peacefully in Jaejoong’s arms.  
  
“I am going to start charging you for viewing rights.”  
  
“I have a replicator at my disposal; charge whatever you like.”  
  
Jaejoong patted the spot next to him on the bed. “Come sit for a moment.”  
  
“I have a million things to do.”  
  
“I insist.”  
  
Yunho shook his head. “I really just came to get my rejuvenating look-see…and to make sure it isn’t a dream.”  
  
“A dream?”  
  
“You two are my perfect dream, but now I must go find Yoochun and find out what is going on in his head.”  
  
“You should leave Yoochun alone.”  
  
“No,” Yunho disagreed. “I know you are telepathic and empathic but I most certainly should not leave him alone.”  
  
Jaejoong sighed and looked worriedly at his mate, thinking about what Yunho might find out…what he might not be able to accept about his friend. In the briefings, Yoochun had left out a crucial detail…that he had killed a man. Jaejoong had not said anything and he was still debating if he ever would. Jaejoong knew if he had been in Yoochun’s position he would have most likely done the same thing but with his mind, not a knife. “If you come and sit with us…I will let you hold him.”  
  
“I…could hold him?” Yunho questioned, but immediately headed for the bed, unable to hide his excitement. “I can hold him already?”  
  
Jaejoong nodded his head as he watched his lover sit down beside him, “If you remain calm. You have to be cool.”  
  
“I was born cool.”  
  
The Joong laughed as he carefully situated Changmin in Yunho’s arms. “You can’t steal him away from me though. I forbid it.”  
  
Yunho gazed down at his son with unconditional love. “I make no promises.”  
  
Jaejoong felt some of the burden lift from Yunho’s soul and confessed, “I really liked your mom.”  
  
“She’s the best.”  
  
“Meeting her helped me.”  
  
Yunho looked away from his son to stare at his mate. “Helped with what?”  
  
“To deal with my agitation with you and others.”  
  
“I am confused…why are you agitated now?”  
  
“Because you all constantly view me as Changmin’s mother.”  
  
“I don’t…I kinda do… _do_ that…don’t I?”  
  
“Yes, you do,” Jaejoong told his mate. “But since I am getting compared to such an extraordinary human I will attempt to be less agitated.”  
  
“She is extraordinary.”  
  
“I am sorry you didn’t get to stay longer with her.”  
  
“Yeah,” Yunho agreed, gazing back down at his son, who was perfectly content in his father’s arms. “We got pulled away too soon.”  
  
“Ryeowook and Kyuhyun feel the same.”  
  
“At least Kyuhyun got to relay some information about our location and our predicament…all I did was pet the dog and hug my mom.”  
  
“I think you hugged the dog, too.”  
  
Yunho grinned. “I missed that dog.”  
  
“I don’t blame you…she is very devoted to you. She was so happy to see you.”  
  
Yunho looked away from his son to smile proudly at Jaejoong. “I love that you can feel animal’s emotions.”  
  
“I feel emotions and emotions are not limited to humans.”  
  
“No,” Yunho agreed.  
  
Jaejoong placed a hand on Yunho’s elbow and softly coaxed, “I have showed remarkable restraint by not using my telepathy to find my answers, but now I must ask…how did you know Heechul was dead?”  
  
Yunho closed his eyes remembering his last moment with his friend. “I saw him.”  
  
“You saw him where?”  
  
“When I went to look for Yoochun…I found Heechul instead.”  
  
“The imposter?”  
  
“No, the real Heechul…he was there.”  
  
“How could he have been there?” Jaejoong asked as he became aware of Yunho feeling slightly embarrassed, “Why do you feel…embarrassed?”  
  
“This is going to sound really crazy when I say this…so, I am going to say it telepathically. Changmin might remember this conversation someday and I can already hear him scolding me for it.”  
  
 _“Go on.”_  
  
 _“You know I have gone over most of everything the imposters said while they were on the ship. That I have listened to every moment the ship recorded of them speaking alone together.”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“I think…I think they were trapped here…and they just wanted to end their constant limbo.”  
  
“We knew that.”  
  
“But I think…I think others of their kind ascended to become higher beings…but the imposters were forbidden that option.”  
  
“Go on…”  
  
“I think Heechul…was able to get through to the being controlling him. I think Heechul somehow changed it…what the being lacked before…what prevented it from ascending was resolved by Heechul’s presence.”_  
  
Jaejoong’s already large eyes appeared to double in size. _“You think Heechul is a God now!”  
  
“I don’t know if I would use that word, but I think he is a higher being now. I think he ascended to higher plain of existence.”  
  
“Did he tell you that?”  
  
“He kinda did.”  
  
“What did he say?”  
  
“He said he had unlimited potential now and…”  
  
“And what?”_  
  
Yunho looked back down at Changmin and smiled.  _“He told me was going to give me a great gift.”_  
  
Jaejoong frowned.  _“That gift you’re holding…_ **I** _gave you that gift!”_  
  
Yunho laughed and nodded his head.  _“Although Changmin is the greatest gift anyone could ever give me…I believe it was Heechul who allowed me to see my mother, who saved the ship, who stopped an exploding sun, and who restored life to the planet Zilax.”_  
  
 _“You act…you feel as if that is absolutely true…as if you have no doubts.”  
  
“I believe it is. The blue glow—the light that restored the ship, restored the planet, and restored the sun…it originated with Heechul’s body.”_  
  
Jaejoong pondered Yunho’s words.  _“I am sure you are aware of the rumors surrounding my people…that some of them ascended into higher beings.”  
  
“I remember Shindong telling me that story long ago.”  
  
“There might be some truth to that...story.”_  
  
Yunho arched both his eyebrows reminding Jaejoong of a grown Changmin.  _“Really?”  
  
“I am just saying…if there was any truth to that story and maybe if those Gods who the imposters thought were totally ambivalent…weren’t so ambivalent after all; perhaps they are responsible for everything that happened. That Woman did manage to contact Joong.”  
  
“Yes, the Joong Elders arrived on the planet and took what the imposters were looking for…I didn’t even know there were Joong Elders. What else should I know about Joong?”  
  
“Don’t ask me questions I can’t answer…because honestly, I really don’t know all the answers myself. I was always more interested in getting away from Joong than studying it’s very long history…and when I say long I mean very long.”_  
  
 _“Even if your theory is right…I still know in my gut that Heechul still exists.”  
  
“Your gut again?”  
  
“My gut.”  
  
“Isn’t his funeral tomorrow?”_  
  
Sadness encompassed Yunho’s expression and Changmin let out a small cry, causing Jaejoong to reach out and take Changmin’s small hand in his. The baby was immediately soothed.  
  
Yunho closed his eyes and pushed his sadness away, not wanting his son to experience it.  _“The human that Heechul was…that magnificent man is gone, but his soul…I know it isn’t lost. I know he is still out there.”_  
  
Jaejoong leaned in and kissed Yunho on the cheek.  _“Well, he better keep his immortal hands off you, then.”_  
  
Yunho’s whole body shook with laughter.  _“You never cease to amaze me.”_  
  
 _“Don’t you forget it,”_  Jaejoong teased.  _“Although, having an immortal being on our side…might come in handy in the future.”_  
  
 _“It might,” Yunho agreed.  
  
“Especially considering your most tiring habit of putting yourself into dangerous predicaments.”_  
  
Before Yunho had time to protest, red lights starting flashing and the computer announced, “INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! HANGER DECK! INTRUDER ALERT.”  
  
“Seriously? Not again!” Yunho groaned aloud. He regretfully handed Changmin back to Jaejoong, quickly got off the bed and tapped his combadge. “Bridge, what is going on?”  
  
“Captain,” came Commander Cho’s immediate response. “There are an increasing number of human life signs appearing in the hanger deck. We are up to eighteen at the moment.”  
  
“Meet me there,” Yunho ordered, before turning back to his mate. “Jaejoong?”  
  
Jaejoong had not moved from the bed as he focused his telepathy on the hanger deck.  
  
“Jaejoong,” Yunho repeated. “What is it?”  
  
The Joong smiled up at his mate and assured him, “It’s a good thing. It’s a very good thing.”  
  
“Intruders are good? Since when?”  
  
“These intruders are good,” Jaejoong insisted, not moving from the bed.  
  
“Are you not coming with me?”  
  
Jaejoong shook his head. “Nope, you got this.”  
  
“Okay…” Yunho replied as he rushed from the room.  
  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
  
  
  
Yunho met Commander Cho and the new head of security, Acting Lieutenant Kangin, at the entrance to the hanger deck.  
  
“Jaejoong is not with you,” Commander Cho pointed out, slightly startled by the Joong’s absence.  
  
“No,” Yunho responded. “He said the intruders…are a good thing.”  
  
“A good thing?” Kangin repeated, not bothering to hide his confusion. “Why would he say that?”  
  
“I don’t know, so let’s find out gentleman,” Yunho ordered as he boldly entered the hanger bay. He immediately came to a dead stop as he laid eyes on the intruders.  
  
“Dear Heavens,” Kangin gasped as he took in the unbelievable sight. “Can it be true?”  
  
“Computer, lower the force field,” Yunho ordered immediately and the force field dissipated. He stared out at the growing number of Star Fleet personal that had appeared in the hanger deck.  
  
A determined looking young man approached Yunho with what appeared to be official orders in his hand.  
  
The young officer stopped in front of Yunho and saluted him. “Sir, I am Ensign Hoya, formerly of the U.S.S Enterprise; Admiral Cho sends her regards.”  
  
An astonished Yunho reached out and took the orders the ensign handed him.  
  
“Captain Yunho,” Ensign Hoya continued. “By order of Star Fleet Command you have been made the official captain of the U.S.S Expectations.”  
  
Yunho stared blankly at the young ensign. “The official…the official captain?”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Hoya stated. “By order of Star Fleet Command and with the full support of the Federation, you are herby raised in rank to Captain.”  
  
“I just saw you on the Enterprise,” Commander Cho told the ensign, not hiding his surprise at what his mother had managed to accomplish in so little time.  
  
“Commander Cho, since you were last aboard the U.S.S Enterprise, 22 Earth days have passed,” Ensign Hoya answered.  
  
Yunho, who was slowly taking everything in, asked, “But how did you get here?”  
  
“When Commander Cho was on the U.S.S. Enterprise he spoke of a Guardian of Time. In our galaxy there is also such a time portal and it is called the Guardian of Forever. Knowledge of its existence is strictly guarded by Star Fleet and the Federation. It was discovered in 2267 by the late, great Captain James T. Kirk and Ambassador Spock. Admiral Cho had knowledge of the time portal.”  
  
Captain Yunho looked out at the ever growing number of new crew members. “Ensign Hoya, is the Guardian allowing these people to pass through it?”  
  
“Yes, Sir,” Hoya explained. “It will allow some whose ancestry is of Earth to pass through it. Captain, I assure you it is Star Fleet Command’s intention to have the U.S.S Expectations fully manned and at your command.”  
  
Yunho watched as the number of crew members continued to increase. “This is much welcomed news…much welcomed news, Ensign Hoya.”  
  
Commander Cho smiled proudly at Yunho. “Congratulations, on your official promotion to Captain…nobody can take the ship from you now.”  
  
Kangin beamed with happiness. “Congratulations, buddy! A fully manned ship! Hell, we won’t know how to act. This is a day we won’t forget.”  
  
“No,” Commander Cho agreed.  
  
Yunho stared out at his new crew, mindful of all those lost during their journey. “We won’t forget this day or the days that led to it, and the price some paid.”  
  
“No, we won’t forget…we won’t ever forget,” Kangin said, remembering old friends, but he quickly pushed the sadness away and patted Yunho on the back. “But I think things are finally looking up for us.”  
  
“Indeed they are, indeed they are,” Yunho agreed, knowing life was full of blessings and hardships, but most importantly it was full of endless possibilities. Endless possibilities he had just begun to explore, but he intended to; he intended to explore each and every one of them.


End file.
